


New Arrivals

by hawkeye1365



Category: The Originals (TV), The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-27
Updated: 2018-09-24
Packaged: 2018-09-27 04:42:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 57
Words: 352,391
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9965684
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hawkeye1365/pseuds/hawkeye1365
Summary: Phoebe Gilbert is Elena's twin sister, and Matt Donovan's best friend. She's your typical shy, smart kid used to a boring, quiet life; but that all changes when Mystic Falls' newest residents bring some excitement into her life...Please R&R.





	1. New Arrivals

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: So this is my first fanfiction ever, and I know the first few chapters are a bit of a dry read (basically an episode summary with an added in OC), but if you stick with it through that I promise you it gets better. That's not me being vain or whatever, that's just what I've heard from my lovely reviewers. I say all this because I know it's easy to judge an entire story within the first few paragraphs of the first chapter, or even the first chapter entirely. It's easy to say that if that one chapter was so boring or poorly written, then how could it possibly get better? But it does. So if you can put yourself through the mind-numbing pain of pushing through these first few chapters, things will pick up. I promise. ENJOY!

Chapter 1: New Arrivals

Outside Mystic Falls, a young couple on their way home, notice fog thickening around them. Suddenly, they hit something in the road that immediately startles them. When they look back, they see a person on the ground. The man gets out of the car to check on the person they hit, leaving his girlfriend to call for help. As soon as the man makes it to the body, he is attacked by the man in the road. Failing to get a signal on her phone, the girl gets out of the car and calls out for her boyfriend. Suddenly, his body drops onto the hood of the car, and his throat looks as though he was bitten by an animal. She screams and runs away in panic, but doesn't make it far. An unseen force grabs her and flies her into the sky.

On the roof of the Salvatore Boarding House, Stefan writes in his journal, while watching the sunrise, "For over a century I have lived in secret; hiding in the shadows, alone in the world. Until now. I am a vampire. This is my story. I shouldn't have come home. I know the risk. But I had no choice. I have to know her."

At the Gilbert house, Elena sits in her room and writing in her diary, "Dear Diary, today will be different. It has to be. I will smile and it will be believable. That smile will say 'I'm fine, thank you.' 'Yes, I feel much better.' I will no longer be the sad little girl who lost her parents. I will start fresh, be someone new. It's the only way I'll make it through."

After making her entry, she got dressed for school and headed downstairs. In the kitchen, Aunt Jenna offers to make breakfast before leaving for a meeting at her college, but the Gilbert children only want coffee. Elena tries talking to Jeremy, but he's not receptive. Elena's twin sister, Phoebe, then comes rushing down the stairs, and into the kitchen.

The twins were identical, but there were slight differences in their appearances. For example, they each had a different sense of style. Elena dressed like a normal teenage girl who kept up with the latest fashion. She fixed her hair; wore make up, jewelry, cute clothes. Phoebe wore whatever was comfortable, and if it happened to be cute, then that was just a bonus. She hardly ever wore make up, because it was hardly visible behind her thick, Buddy Holly glasses; and when she did, it was mostly very subtle. Though sometimes she would get bored, and put on more than normal. As for her hair, Phoebe would mostly leave it in the same ponytail she'd gone to sleep with the night before; only then it'd be drooping, and some of the hair would be falling out. Phoebe was also a genius, and was likely the smartest person in the entire town; whereas Elena was of average intelligence. However, being such a small town, Phoebe was stuck in normal classes, instead of A.P.

Elena assumes her sister's rush is eagerness for coffee, like usual, and offers to pour her a cup. Phoebe declines.

"No coffee? Since when don't you want coffee?" asked Elena, surprised.

"Matt's coming to pick me up," replied Phoebe. "We're going to hang out at the Grill for a little bit before school."

Elena looked down, awkwardly, "Oh."

"Don't worry. You'll have Bonnie to keep you company," Phoebe replied.

Elena nodded.

"Elena?"

Elena looked up.

"Don't worry about Matt. He's not mad, and he doesn't hate you. He's just...hurt. But he'll be okay," explained Phoebe, comfortingly.

Elena gave a small smile.

Matt honked outside, and Phoebe flew out the front door.

During the drive to school, Bonnie tells Elena that she thinks she's psychic, and rambles on about her Grams being crazy for telling her she's descended from witches. She notices Elena's not listening, and gets her friend's attention. Bonnie predicts Elena will have a good year this year. Something Elena takes little comfort in.

Meanwhile, at the Grill, Matt and Phoebe sit down, and order. Phoebe tells the waitress to just keep the coffee coming, and Matt orders the breakfast sampler platter, that came with a little bit of everything.

"Why'd you order so much food?" Phoebe asked. "You can't be _that_ hungry."

"No, I got it for you," Matt replied.

Phoebe lifted an eyebrow.

Matt chuckled, and explained, "You never order your own food, but no matter what I get you still eat off my plate. I figure this way there's plenty of food to go around."

Phoebe opened her mouth to comment, but the waitress returned with the coffee. Phoebe thanked her, and she left again. "So what's next? You know how I like my coffee?"

Matt took the cup from her and began fixing it the way she liked. She watched him put half a packet of sugar in it, and two creamers. He stirred it all in and slid it back over to Phoebe.

Phoebe looked down at the coffee, then Matt, "Lucky guess."

Matt gave her a look, "That wasn't a guess. I know everything about you, because I've known you since we were kids. Just like you know me."

"Okay, what's my favorite color?" she tested.

"Purple," he answered, confidently.

"Favorite book?"

"You don't have one. It depends on the genre."

"Favorite sci-fi?"

"Again, you don't have one. It's a tie between Star Trek and Stargate."

"Favorite-," Phoebe began.

Matt cut her off, "Phoebe, you don't have an absolute favorite for anything, except color. You're more complex than that. Everything depends on the circumstances or category, and even with all of that I still know all of your favorites; so this line of questioning is kind of pointless."

"Your right," she admitted. "So I'm thinking of a number..."

Matt took the other half of the sugar packet, and threw it at her. The two laughed about it, as she dusted the sugar off of her. The waitress brought out the food, and left. Matt slid the plates into the center of the table, so it was easier to share. Phoebe smiled, and noted, "Okay, so we're an old married couple."

"Yes, we are," Matt agreed, smiling back.

The two finished breakfast, and headed out. As they were getting into the truck, a random crow swooped down at Phoebe. It barely missed her, and then it flew away. Matt ran back to her from the other side of the truck to make sure she was okay. She assured him she was fine, and the two headed to school.

At Mystic Falls High School, Stefan walks across the campus towards the main building. At the lockers, Caroline hugs Elena and asks Bonnie if Elena is okay, despite the fact that Elena is right there. Phoebe sticks with Matt, her best and only friend. In the school yard, Jeremy gives Vicki some pills, and is teased afterward by Tyler.

Back inside, Stefan compels the school secretary to let him into school despite not having the required paperwork. Bonnie and Elena check him out from behind in the hallway, until Elena sees Jeremy enter the men's room. She follows him, and catches him putting eye drops in his eyes. She accuses him of being high, but Jeremy simply dismisses her concern and walks out. Stefan bumps into Elena as she's leaving the men's room. They are both awkward around each other for a moment before Elena leaves, eyeing him again as she goes. Later, in Mr. Tanner's class, Bonnie texts Elena to tell her that Stefan is staring at her.

After school, at Mystic Falls Cemetery, Elena sits at her parents' grave and writes in her diary, "Dear Diary, I made it through the day. I must have said 'I'm fine, thanks' at least thirty-seven times. And I didn't mean it once. But no one noticed. When someone asks 'How are you?', they don't really want an answer."

As she writes, fog gathers and a crow lands on the gravestone in front of her. She tries to ignore it and shoo it away, but it's still there. Unnerved, she runs off and accidentally stumbles down a hill, only to find Stefan at the bottom. He asks if she's okay and explains he's there visiting family. Elena then introduces herself, as does Stefan. She sees his ring and comments on it, before he suddenly smells something in the air and inquires if she's hurt herself. She checks her leg, which is bloody, and the sight of it makes his face change, forcing him to turn around so she can't see it. He tells her she should go bandage it, and when she turns back, he's gone.

Later at the Salvatore Boarding House, Stefan writes in his journal about his encounter with Elena, "I lost control today. Everything I've kept buries inside came rushing to the surface. I'm simply not able to resist her."

At the Mystic Grill, Jeremy says hey to Vicki, but she blows him off. She brings her brother his food, and gives Tyler the eye. When she leaves, Matt looks at Tyler, "Please tell me you're not hooking up with my sister."

"I'm not hooking up with your sister," Tyler said, innocently.

Phoebe looked back and forth between the two, as she ate a fry from Matt's plate.

Matt shook his head, "You're such a dick."

Meanwhile, Caroline tells Bonnie about Stefan, for whom she has developed a crush.

Over at the Gilbert house, Elena is surprised to see Stefan at the front door when she's getting ready to leave. He returns her diary, which she dropped at the cemetery, and she invites him to the Mystic Grill with her.

Back at the Mystic Grill, Matt and Phoebe talk about Elena, while they play a game of pool.

"How's Elena doing?" asked Matt.

"She's putting on a good face, but...it's only been four months," Phoebe replied. "Basic psychology, really. Even though we have Aunt Jenna, Elena still feels the need to play the mother role for me and Jeremy."

"Funny, I thought that's why _you_ were putting on _your_ brave face," said Matt.

Phoebe stopped, and stood up from her shot, "I just wanna be a good sister. I wanna be there for them, when they need me. Not play the role of the guardian."

"You are a good sister, Pheebes," said Matt.

Phoebe smiled at her friend, "Thanks."

Just then, Elena and Stefan arrive together. Caroline, Matt, Phoebe, Tyler and Bonnie stare at them. They all gather at a table and talk. Caroline mentions the back to school party at the Falls, and invites Stefan. But Stefan only cares if Elena is going. Bonnie says, "Of course she is." Phoebe takes frequent glances at Matt to make sure he's alright, and to her surprise he's just fine. It doesn't seem to bother him that Elena and Stefan are getting close.

Later at the Salvatore Boarding House, Zach bursts into Stefan's room, handing him a paper detailing the deaths of the man and his girlfriend. He believes Stefan had something to do with it. Stefan assures him he has everything under control and Zach leaves. Stefan goes to a cupboard and picks out a book with a photograph of a young woman who looks exactly like Elena and Phoebe. Except the photo bears the words "Katherine, 1864".

The next day, in History class, Tanner teaches the class about the Battle of Willow Creek.

"The battle of Willow Creek. Took place right at the end of the war, in our very own Mystic Falls," said Mr. Tanner. "How many casualties resulted in this battle?"

No one volunteered to answer.

"Miss Bennett?" asked Mr. Tanner.

"Um...a lot?" guessed Bonnie. "I'm not sure. Like a whole lot."

Everyone giggled.

"Cute becomes dumb in an instant, Miss Bennett," said Tanner, unamused. He turned to Matt next, "Mr. Donovan. Would you like to take this opportunity to overcome your embedded jock stereotype?"

"It's okay, Mr. Tanner, I'm cool with it," replied Matt. He smiled at Phoebe. She returned in kind.

Everyone laughed.

"Hmm. Miss Gilbert?" asked Tanner, looking at Elena. "Surely you can enlighten us about one of the town's most significantly historical events?"

Elena shook her head, "I'm sorry, I-I don't know."

"I was willing to be lenient last year, for obvious reasons, Elena, but the personal excuses ended with summer break," said Tanner.

Elena shifted, uncomfortably, in her seat.

"There were 346 casualties, unless you're counting local civilians," said Phoebe, noticing her sister's discomfort.

"That's correct," said Tanner, giving her a look. "But was addressing Elena."

"To be fair, sir, you never specified which 'Miss Gilbert' you were addressing," Phoebe pointed out.

"You're right," he admitted. "I'll have to be more careful about that. Very good, Phoebe, except of course there were no civilian casualties in this battle."

"Actually, Mr. Tanner, there were," argued Phoebe.

"Miss Gilbert, which one of use is the teacher?" he asked.

"You are," answered Phoebe.

"And which one of us is the student?" he asked.

"I am," answered Phoebe, sheepishly.

"Don't you think that I, the teacher, would know better than you, the student?" he mused.

Phoebe nodded sheepishly, as she sank in her seat.

"Actually, she's right," said Stefan. "There were 27 civilian casualties. Confederate soldiers fired on the church, believing it to be housing weapons. They were wrong. It was a night of great loss. The Founders' Archives are, uh, stored in Civil Hall, if you'd like to brush up on your facts."

The room chuckled, and Tanner looked annoyed.

Phoebe felt much better, and thanked the new guy with a smile and a nod. He returned in kind.

That nigth at the bonfire, Stefan arrives and is accosted by Caroline. Around the fire, Elena hands Bonnie a bottle, to be her crystal ball, asking for a prediction. When she inadvertently touches Elena, she gets a vision that freaks her out. She walks away before Elena can ask her what she saw. Elena turns around to find Stefan standing behind her. The two walk to the nearby bridge to talk alone. There, Elena talks about the car crash that killed her parents. Stefan tells her she won't be sad forever.

Not being the party type, Matt has to drag Phoebe to the bonfire. This was usually the case whenever there was a social gathering, because Phoebe was shy around people she didn't talk to regularly. Phoebe notices Matt stealing a glance at Elena with Stefan.

"She doesn't mean to hurt you, you know," commented Phoebe.

"I know," replied Matt. "And I'm not hurt. I'm glad she's moving on with her life. I just don't want her to get hurt by this guy."

"Good. You should move on, too," she said, with an encouraging smile.

He smiled back, "I plan on it. Unfortunately, everyone thinks I'm still hung up on Elena, so anyone I ask out is gonna feel like rebound."

"True," she agreed.

"So for now, I have to wait. But that's okay. The girl I've got my eye on is worth waiting for," he added, with a smitten grin.

"Oh, really? Who?" asked Phoebe, a little jealous.

"Not telling," he replied.

"Oh, come on, I'm your best friend," she whined.

"I know, but I don't wanna jinx it," he said.

Phoebe rolled her eyes.

"When I'm ready to ask her out, I'll tell you," he sighed.

"Can you at least tell me about her?" she asked.

"Definitely not," he laughed.

Phoebe looked confused.

"You're a genius, Phoebe. And this is a small town. If I tell you anything about her, you'll be able to figure out who she is," he explained. "I know you too well."

Phoebe nodded in agreement, and laughed with him.

Meanwhile, in the woods, Jeremy finds Tyler trying to force himself on Vicki, and aggressively pulls him away from her. When Tyler leaves, Jeremy tries to tell Vicki that Tyler isn't good for her. She becomes upset and walks away. Back at the bridge, Stefan asks Elena about her friends and Matt. She explains her history with Matt, and Stefan's face involuntarily changes again. Elena points it out, and he becomes flustered and leaves, claiming he's going to go get her another drink.

Back at the party, Caroline once again begins flirting with Stefan, but Stefan outright rejects her and tells her they're not going to happen. He then approaches Elena again, who sees Jeremy wandering off. She excuses herself to follow her brother, and together they discover Vicki's body in the woods. Her neck was torn open, as though she, too, had been attacked by an animal. She opens her eyes for a second, gasping for air, and then falls unconscious again. The two siblings carry her back to the party, calling for help. Stefan sees Vicki's body, and disappears. Later, once the ambulance arrives, Bonnie tells Elena about her vision, while Matt leaves in the ambulance with his sister, and Phoebe follows in Matt's truck.

At the Salvatore Boarding House, Stefan arrives home and tells Zach about the attack. In his room, a crow flies in as he comes face-to-face with his older brother, Damon. Stefan asks why Damon has come back, but Damon does not answer the question; instead, Damon says that he knows Stefan has returned to Mystic Falls for Elena.

Damon begins taunting Stefan, provoking him; until Stefan shoves Damon so hard that they both fly through the window and land on the ground below. Outside, Damon continues to taunt him, stealing his ring in the process, but he eventually hands it back to him. Before Damon goes inside, he shoves Stefan forcefully against the garage and warns him not to mess with him again.

Meanwhile, at the Falls, Elena tries to talk to Jeremy, reminding him that he needs to get back on track. Everyone has already forgotten that their parents died. But he brings up the subject of her cemetery visits and points out that she's not exactly adjusting well either.

Later at the hospital, Vicki wakes up to Matt and Phoebe. Matt asks her what attacked her, and she says "vampire."

In Elena's room, she writes in her diary, "Dear Diary, I couldn't have been more wrong. I thought that I could smile and nod my way through it. Pretend that it would all be okay. But it's not that easy. The bad things stay with you. They follow you. You can't escape them. As much as you want to. All you can do is be ready for the good. So when it somes, you invite it in, because you need it. I need it."

Meanwhile, Stefan, who is at the Boarding House, looks at Katherine's photograph and writes in his own journal, "I had a plan. I wanted to change who I was. Create a life with someone new, someone without the past. Without the pain, someone alive."

In the Gilbert living room, Jeremy looks at a photograph of his parents while Jenna looks at him sadly. At the Grill, Bonnie talks to a rejected Caroline who is jealous of Elena and believes that she is always chosen first instead of Caroline. Bonnie leaves to pay for the drinks, as Caroline smiles coyly at Damon.

Back at the Gilbert House, Elena spots Stefan standing outside of her house. She goes to the door, and opens it. He apologizes for disappearing on her at the Falls, and asks her if she's okay. She tells him to ask her tomorrow, and then she invites him inside.


	2. The Night of the Comet

Chapter 2: The Night of the Comet

There's a couple camping in the woods, waiting to see a comet pass over. The boy says that he's going get something in the car. When he doesn't return the girl exits the tent and see the boy's body up in the tree. She runs to the car, but the doors are locked. She looks around and suddenly someone jumps her.

The next morning, Elena and Stefan wake up in their respective beds, and write in their journals, "This morning is different. There's change. I can sense it. Feel it. I'm awake. For the first time in a long time I feel completely and undeniably wide awake. For once I don't regret the day before it even begins. I welcome the day because I know, I will see her/him again. For the first time in a long time, I feel good."

Elena finishes getting ready for school and is met in the hallway by Jenna, who is deciding what to wear for a guardian/teacher conference. Jenna comments on Elena's uncharacteristically cheerful mood, and tells her that Jeremy has left already to finish a project in woodshop. He's actually gone to look in on Vicki at the hospital.

Later in Mr. Tanner's class, Elena and Stefan exchange smiles, as Mr. Tanner lectures about the comet that's about to pass over Mystic Falls. Later in the halls, Caroline and Bonnie walk together, discussing Bonnie's apparent witch lineage that Bonnie learned of from her grandmother. Meanwhile, Jeremy searches the school grounds until he finds Tyler. He quizzes him about Vicki's recovery, which he doesn't know about. Jeremy threatens to kill him if he hurts Vicki one more time, and then leaves.

After lunch, Stefan & Phoebe have science class together. The two pair up as lab partners.

"So Elena told me about the copy of 'Wuthering Heights' you tried to give her," Phoebe commented. "That was sweet of you."

"It's no big deal, really. We, uh, have a library full of old books at home," replied Stefan, nonchalantly.

"It is a big deal. Do you know how much old books like that are…wait. Did you just say you have an entire library of old books?"

"Yes," replied Stefan, looking around, nervously.

"And we are now planning your wedding."

"Come again?" asked a confused Stefan.

"If you marry my sister then I can have access to your beautiful library," Phoebe explained, somewhat jokingly.

Stefan laughed, "Phoebe, you don't have to be my sister-in-law to borrow a few books. You're my friend, and more importantly my girlfriend's sister. You can borrow any book you want, whenever you want."

"Are you serious?" Phoebe asked, surprised.

"Completely. I need to keep you on my side, so if I screw something up with Elena-," he began.

"I'll have your back," she finished.

Stefan smiled and nodded.

"Can I check it out after school?"

"Sure."

Phoebe beamed, "Thanks."

Stefan smiled back, more amused at her love of literature than anything, "You're welcome."

After school, Matt and Elena walk outside, and talk.

"So how's Vicki?" Elena asked.

"They're keeping her overnight to make sure there's no infection, but she should be able to come home tomorrow," Matt answered.

"That's good news," said Elena.

"Yeah," Matt agreed.

"Did you get in touch with your mom?" she asked.

"I called and left a message. She's in Virginia Beach with her boyfriend, so...we'll see how long it takes her to come rushing home," he explained.

Elena sighed, "Vicki's lucky that she's okay."

"I know, and now there's talk of some missing campers."

Stefan, who was at a nearby table, tuned in with his vampire hearing.

"Did she say what kind of animal it was that attacked her?" Elena asked.

"She said it was a vampire," answered Matt.

"What?"

Stefan perked up at this news.

"Yeah, she wakes up last night and mutters 'vampire' and then passes out," Matt explained.

"Okay, that's weird," said Elena.

"I think she was drunk," said Matt. He noticed Stefan, and asked, "So what's up with you and the new guy?"

Elena glanced over at Stefan, "Matt, the last thing I wanna do is hurt you."

"It's okay. Really, it doesn't hurt me. I'm glad you've moved on, and I'm glad he makes you happy," Matt told her. "I'll admit I was hurt when you first broke up with me, but now I'm good."

Elena gave a small smile, "Who is she?"

"What?"

"Who is she?" Elena repeated.

Matt struggled to make words form.

"The only reason you'd be so cool about me moving on, is if you're doing the same," she explained. "So who is it?"

Matt chuckled, "You've been spending way too much time with Phoebe."

"That's not an answer," she laughed.

"Okay, look, I'll tell you the same thing I told Phoebe. Yes, there is a girl I've got my eye on. But I'm not going to ask her out just yet, because everyone thinks I'm on the rebound and I don't want her to feel that way," he told her.

"Oooh sounds serious," she joked.

"Maybe," he shrugged. "I really like this girl and I want her to feel special, not like a rebound."

"That's sweet," said Elena. "Now, tell me who she is."

"Not gonna happen. Like I told Phoebe, when I'm ready to ask her out, I'll tell you who she is," he told her.

Elena gave an exasperated sigh, "Fine."

"I'm gonna head to the hospital to check on Vick. See you later."

Elena waved him 'goodbye', and headed to the table where Stefan had been, but he wasn't there. Meanwhile, back inside, Jenna meets with Mr. Tanner to talk about Jeremy's attendance record. He hints that Jeremy is probably taking drugs, and questions Jenna's suitability as a guardian, which makes Jenna angry.

Matt and Stefan arrive at the hospital, but Matt reaches a hysterical Vicki first. As Matt looks for help, Stefan uses compulsion on Vicki to calm her down, as well as alter her memories of the attack. Stefan attempts to leave the hospital without being seen, but Matt catches a glimpse of him as he skirts down the hallway. Matt follows Stefan as he enters a blood donation room, which causes Stefan's face to change. Matt enters the room, but Stefan has already jumped out of the window.

Meanwhile, Bonnie, Caroline, and Elena sit at a table in front of the Grill and talk about Elena's visit from Stefan the prior night. Caroline is skeptical of Elena's assertion that all the pair did was talk, but Elena swears that's all that happened.

Elsewhere, Jeremy arrives home to find Jenna waiting on him with an "are you doing drugs?" talk at the ready. Despite Jenna admitting to recreational use in the past, Jeremy blows her off, and leaves the house.

Meanwhile, at the Salvatore Boarding House, Phoebe was excited to see Stefan's library. She'd thought of nothing else since their conversation in science. She was smiling to herself as she approached the door. As she knocked, it swung open. Walking inside, she called out for Stefan. There was no reply. Turning a corner, the same crow from the Grill on the first day of school flew at her. It scared her, and she turned around, coming face-to-face with a strange man, who just smiled down at her.

"I-I'm sorry for barging in. the door was…," she began. She stopped short when she saw the door was now closed.

The man finally spoke, "You must be Elena. I'm Damon. Stefan's brother."

"I didn't know he had a brother," said Phoebe, not correcting him on who she was. She was still really confused, and Damon's eyes were drawing nearly all of her attention. They were almost as blue as Matt's.

"Well Stefan's not one to brag," he joked, smiling at her.

Phoebe felt herself smiling, involuntarily.

Damon gestured to the living room, "Please, come."

"Wow," said Phoebe, looking around. "This is your living room?"

"Living room, parlor, Sotheby's Auction. It's a little kitschy for my taste," he replied, jokingly. He watched her look around amazed. "I can see why my brother's so smitten with you. It's about time, too. For a while there I didn't think he'd get over the last one. Nearly destroyed him."

Phoebe knew he was baiting her, but she asked anyways, "The last one?"

"Yeah. Katherine, his girlfriend?"

"Pretty sure it's still too early for the whole awkward ex's conversation."

"Oops. Well, I'm sure it'll come up, now. Or maybe he didn't tell you because he didn't want you to think he was on the rebound."

"Possibly," she replied, seemingly uninterested in the conversation anymore.

Damon noticed this, and tried to spice it up again, "We all know how those relationships end."

"You say that like every relationship is doomed to end."

Damon smirked, "I'm a fatalist."

It worked. Phoebe was interested once again, "Not every relationship ends permanently. Sure, some hit a bump in the road, but when it's worth it they work together to get over that bump."

"True, but some roads just come to an end," replied Damon.

"Then you get out and walk. The end of the road just means you've reached the end of the predictability part of the relationship. You can either go in different directions and find new roads, or go on an adventure together. Most people just prefer the predictability of the road, which is why so many people just move onto new roads. But there are those that prefer the excitement of the unpredictable. The path where the only constant or sure thing is that you're together," elaborated Phoebe.

"Aren't we the optimistic romantic," said Damon, impressed and somewhat amused.

"No, that's my sister. I'm a realist."

"Coulda fooled me," he grinned.

"Even for a fatalist, surely you can admit that when you really love someone you get selfish. You do whatever it takes to keep that person with you," said Phoebe, somewhat seriously.

Damon just stared at her, trying to read her. The things she was saying…it was like she was reading his mind. He was also confused as to why she wasn't reacting like most girls do, when he tries to charm them. Somehow she was able to stare him in the eye without smiling, or blushing. She could have a conversation with him, without flirting back, or just standing there waiting for him to flatter her with compliments. He was so engrossed in trying to figure her out, he didn't even notice Stefan.

"Phoebe. I see you've met Damon," said Stefan, making his presence known.

"Phoebe?" asked Damon. "Who's Phoebe?"

Stefan looked at Phoebe.

Phoebe smiled sheepishly, and waved, "Hello."

Damon looked confused, "I thought you were Elena."

"Sorry. I meant to correct you, but I was so confused about the door and the random crow, and then your eyes are almost as blue as my friend Matt's so they kinda sucked me in, and shortly after that we were engaged in conversation and I wasn't sure how to just announce 'Hi, my name's Phoebe. I know Elena and I look alike, but that's because we're twins. Don't worry, though, we're only paternal twins so we look a little different. I also wear glasses, because I'm blind as a bat.' Actually, that phrase is pretty inaccurate. Bats can see really well, unless it's daylight. They're nocturnal, you know?" said Phoebe, almost all at once.

Stefan, thankfully, stepped in before she could rant anymore, "Phoebe. You wanted to look at those books?"

"Right! Yes. Thank you," said Phoebe, grateful for cutting her off.

Stefan directed her to the library. The brothers both waited for her to get out of earshot before speaking.

Damon whistled, "Great gal. I like her. She's cute, and she's got spunk."

"How long was she here?" asked Stefan.

"Why? Are you worried about what I might say?" asked Damon.

"I don't trust you, Damon. I wouldn't put it past you to say something you shouldn't, just so she'll repeat it to Elena," replied Stefan.

"Now, how would I manage that, when I thought she was Elena?" asked Damon.

Phoebe returned before Stefan could reply, "Are these okay? I just started grabbing ones that sounded interesting, and before I realized it I had a whole stack of them."

"For what?" asked Damon.

Stefan looked at the books in her arms, "I told Phoebe she could borrow some of our books. These are fine."

"Of course they are," said Damon. He smiled at Phoebe, "You can borrow any book you want, whenever you want."

"Thank you," said Phoebe, returning his smile. "It was nice to meet you, Damon."

"Great meeting you, too, Phoebe," he replied, kissing her hand.

Phoebe's smile grew. She avoided his eyes as she left.

At the hospital, Vicki wakes in a much-improved mood as she chats with Matt, with no apparent memory of a vampire attack. Instead she believes she was bitten by an unknown animal. Jeremy walks into the hospital room and Matt excuses himself. Upset at Jeremy's arrival, Vicki tells Jeremy to back off, until he reveals the fact that he's the one who saved Vicki the night of the party.

Back at the Gilbert House, Phoebe is in the kitchen making a sundae with Aunt Jenna.

"So how was school?" asked Jenna.

"Mostly boring," Phoebe told her.

"Isn't it always?" Jenna joked.

Phoebe laughed, "Yes, it is. But after school was interesting."

"What happened after school?" asked an intrigued Jenna.

"Well, at school Stefan tried to give Elena an original copy of Wuthering Heights. I mentioned it to him in Science class, and he told me he had an entire library full of old books, so it was no big deal," Phoebe began.

"Oh, I'm sure you loved that," Jenna teased.

"I know!" Phoebe agreed. "Anyway, he invited me to go over after school, and borrow some of the books. So I did."

"You must've been in heaven."

"I was, but that's not the interesting part," Phoebe told her.

"A library full of a bunch of old, musty books wasn't the highlight of your day?" asked Jenna, a little confused.

Phoebe shook her head, "I met Stefan's brother."

Jenna's eyes widened, "Stefan has a brother."

Phoebe nodded.

"What's he like?" Jena asked, giving Phoebe her undivided attention.

"Nothing like Stefan. When I got there, he thought I was Elena, and he kept trying to bait me into conversations that would stir things up with Stefan," she told her.

"What do you mean? Like what?"

"Like talking about his ex, Katherine. Damon," Phoebe began. As she said the next word, she did air quotes, " _accidently_ let slip that Stefan just got over a bad break up. Then we talked about relationships in general, which was actually-."

Jenna cut her off, "Hold on. Two points, here. Stefan is on the rebound, and didn't tell Elena. And you actually had a conversation with a guy that isn't family or Matt Donovan?"

"Yes, and yes."

"Okay, you talking to a guy is an achievement of its own, but an actual conversation...Phoebe, that's a miracle!" said Jenna, excited.

"I don't understand how that happened, but...the more important thing here is Stefan's ex. Should I tell Elena, or should I tell Stefan to tell her, before Damon tells her?" Phoebe asked her. "I mean, I could tell that, when he thought I was Elena, he wanted for me to know about Katherine. I don't know why, but whatever the reason, I really think this would be better coming from Stefan."

Jenna thought it over, "I'd say do whatever you feel is right. No matter what, she's gonna find out. It's just a matter of when and from whom."

Phoebe nodded in response. Jeremy came home, and Jenna left the kitchen to talk to Jeremy. Elena came in as Jenna was doing that, and joined Phoebe in the kitchen.

"What's that about?" Elena asked.

"I think Jeremy walked out on Jenna earlier, when she was trying to have the 'don't do drugs' talk with him," Phoebe answered.

Elena made a face of understanding, "Mmm. So where were you after school? You're usually hanging out with Matt."

"I was at Stefan's," she replied, a little awkwardly. "He told me I could take a look at his library."

"You must've been in heaven," said Elena, making her way to the sundae assembly line.

"Yes. I was. But before I got to the library, I met Stefan's brother Damon," Phoebe replied.

Elena stopped, "Stefan has a brother?"

"Well, you already knew he had siblings," said Phoebe, in a slow and confused manner.

"No, I didn't," Elena denied.

"Remember the night you brought him to the Grill, and Caroline invited him to the bonfire at the Falls?" she asked.

Elena nodded, thinking.

"After he told you his parents died, you asked him if he had any siblings. He said none that he talks to," Phoebe explained.

Elena made a face that told Phoebe she remembered, "Right. But why didn't he tell me his brother was in town?"

"Elena, you two just met a few days ago. Do you really expect him to tell you 'Hey, my brother's in town, just FYI.'?" Phoebe asked.

Elena looked down, "I guess not."

"Elena?"

Elena looked up at her sister.

"Just because he didn't tell you yet, doesn't mean he's trying to keep it a secret."

Elena nodded, and Phoebe left the kitchen.

The next afternoon, Bonnie and Elena walk through the square passing out flyers. Caroline spies Damon but when she approaches him, he disappears.

Meanwhile, at the Salvatore House, Zach confronts Stefan about Damon's continued presence and the danger he's putting them all in. He asks if the girl is really worth the risk. Phoebe arrives at the Salvatore House, and rings the bell. Zach answers the door, and she asks to see Stefan. He gestures for her to enter, and calls for Stefan.

"Phoebe," said Stefan, coming down the stairs. "Go through all those books already?"

Phoebe laughed, "Not yet. I wanted to talk to you about Elena."

Stefan gestured for her to have a seat in the living room. They sat on the couch, and Phoebe explained why she was there, "Yesterday when I was talking to Damon, he mentioned your ex Katherine."

Stefan's body language told Phoebe he didn't like that.

"I didn't say anything to Elena, but I think you should, before Damon lets it slip to the right Gilbert twin, this time," Phoebe told him. "She's already kinda upset you didn't tell her about your brother."

Stefan nodded, "Thank you for giving me the heads up. I'll talk to her tonight."

Phoebe smiled, "Anytime."

Stefan smiled back, and walked her out.

Later that evening, Jeremy meets Vicki in the Grill and gives her more pain pills. Tyler sees them together, and isn't pleased. Night falls and the candlelight celebration begins.

Matt lights Elena's candle, who passes her light on to Stefan. Stefan and Elena step away from the others, and Stefan apologizes for his omission of Damon's presence. He also tells her about Katherine. He assures her he is not on the rebound, because Katherine was a long time ago.

Back in the Grill, Vicki sees Damon sitting in the bar and recognizes him. She goes to the restroom, downs a handful of pills, and is attacked by Damon. Jeremy soon goes into the Grill and asks if anyone has seen Vicki prompting an argument with Tyler, who hints that Jeremy's been "dealing." As Matt leaves to look for his sister, Elena and Phoebe confront Jeremy about his options: therapy, rehab, or talking with them.

Matt searches the square for Vicki and sees Stefan. He warns Stefan that even though he's not with Elena anymore, he'll always be looking out for her. Hearing screams from Vicki, Stefan excuses himself and runs to the top of the building where Damon is threatening Vicki.

Damon compels Vicki to make her believe Stefan was the one to attack her, taunting Stefan's choice of lifestyle again. Stefan asks if this was all about Damon trying to expose him, but Damon answers that it's to remind him of his old self. Damon then compels Vicki to forget. Stefan asks what Damon is really up to, to which he responds "That's for me to know and for you to dot dot dot...".

After Damon leaves, Stefan brings Vicki back to the Grill. Matt checks Vicki's injury as he thanks Stefan for his help finding her. Bonnie gives Stefan Elena's e-mail address and cell phone number. When she touches his hand she gets another vision.

Meanwhile, Elena and Phoebe arrive home and find Jenna searching Jeremy's room for drugs.

"Jer?" questioned Elena, approaching Jeremy's room.

"Nope, it's me, the hypocrite patrol," replied Jenna.

"What are you doing?" Phoebe asked her.

"I've become my worst nightmare. The authority figure. Who has to violate a fifteen-year-old's privacy. Jackpot!" she replied, finding Jeremy's bong. "I see the hiding places haven't gotten any more creative."

"What brought this on?" Elena asked.

"Your ass-hat of a history teacher shamed me good yesterday," Jenna answered.

"You got Tannered," said Elena.

"Been there," Phoebe added.

"'Discover the impossible, Ms. Summers.' Got it. Thanks. Like I didn't know I was screwing up," muttered Jenna.

"You're not screwing up, Aunt Jenna," Phoebe told her.

"Yes, I am," Jenna replied. "You know why? Because I'm not her. She made everything look so easy. You know, high school, marriage, having you two. I can't do it. I'm gonna say or do the wrong thing, and he's gonna get worse, and it's gonna be my fault."

The twins sat in silence, as Jenna went on. When she was done, she sat down on Jeremy's bed, "It's impossible."

"This is just the fear talking," Phoebe told her. "You're a little scared, that's all."

"We all are," Elena added.

Phoebe looked at her sister, "You can't let fear dictate your life, or it'll cripple you."

Elena thought for a moment, and then announced, "I have to go do something. But are you gonna be okay?"

Jenna smiled at the twins, and nodded.

Back at the Grill, Jeremy witnesses a romantic moment between Tyler and Vicki, and sulks away. Walking alone to her car, Caroline senses she's being followed, and she's right. Damon appears at her car. The two flirt, before leaving together.

Elena rings the bell at Stefan's, and they walk outside to watch the comet overhead. She admits to being scared earlier when she talked with Stefan, since she's not sure she'd survive if her world broke apart again. They discuss what they each would have written in their diaries if they'd had the chance. Stefan looks at Elena and says that this is reality right here. They share a tentative kiss followed by a more lingering one.

Meanwhile, over at Caroline's, Caroline is in bed with Damon. He looks up from kissing her stomach and changes into his vampire form before biting her.


	3. Friday Night Bites

Chapter 3: Friday Night Bites

Caroline wakes up, after having slept with Damon, to discover bite marks on her neck. She tries to creep out of the room without waking Damon. The door knob squeaks, and she looks back at the bed to find it empty. Damon is now standing beside her. Caroline panics, and hits Damon's face with a lamp, but it doesn't hurt him. He shoves her onto the bed, and she throws her blood-stained pillow at him. He catches it, but the smell of her blood makes him thirsty, and he attacks her.

At school Bonnie tries to tell Elena to take it slow with Stefan after accidentally touching him and getting a very bad vibe. This makes Elena curious of why Bonnie is saying these things when she was the one telling Elena to go for it. Bonnie tells her she's just concerned for her friend. Elena tells Bonnie that Stefan is helping her cope with everything that's been happening.

Meanwhile, Vicki invites Jeremy to a concert as friends; however, in his frustration, he asks her if she only slept with him for drugs. She doesn't answer. Stefan joins Bonnie and Elena, telling them both "good morning." Bonnie's responds by quickly leaving.

"She doesn't like me very much," noted Stefan.

"She doesn't know you," Elena replied. "She's my best friend; she's just looking out for me. But when she does, she will love you."

Across the yard, Phoebe reads a book, while Matt tosses a football back and forth with another football player. Tyler notices Elena and Stefan together, and teases Matt.

"Look. There's Elena and her new boyfriend," he teased.

Phoebe peered over the top of her book at the couple. Matt held the football, and glanced over as well.

"Now what are they doing?" Tyler continued. "Oh, they're walking, walking, walking. Yep. Right into the sunset."

Phoebe rolled her eyes, and continued reading.

Matt threw the football again, "You're a dick."

Tyler ignored Matt's comment, "While you just stand there looking like one of those little yard trolls."

"Gnomes," Matt and Phoebe corrected in unison.

Matt glanced back at Phoebe, and smiled. Phoebe continued to stare at her book, but smiled to herself.

"You two spend way too much time together," Tyler replied. "You're starting to act like an old married couple."

"You have no idea," Matt mumbled under his breath.

Elena continued to talk about Bonnie's feelings towards Stefan, "Here's what we're gonna do. Are you free tonight?"

"Yes," Stefan answered.

"Perfect. Dinner, my house, eight o'clock. You, me, and Bonnie. I'll even invite Phoebe, so Bonnie can see even Phoebe likes you," said Elena.

"What is her approval hard to come by?" Stefan joked.

Elena giggled, "No, she's just a very shy person. She doesn't normally take to people as quickly as she's taken to you."

Stefan nodded, "In that case, I'm honored."

"You should be," she told him. "Anyway, it'll give you and Bonnie the chance to spend some quality time together, and she'll get to see what a great guy you are. Mission accomplished."

Stefan just smiled at her.

Tyler was still staring at Stefan and Elena.

"Leave it alone, Ty, it's fine," Matt sighed. "She made her choice."

"Let her know she made the wrong one," Tyler remarked. He intercepted the football, and backed up a few paces. Matt tried telling him not to do it, but he didn't listen. Tyler, drew his arm back, and sent the ball flying straight at Stefan's head.

Phoebe had taken notice of what Tyler was doing, and did her best to get Stefan's attention. She placed her thumb and index finger in her mouth, and whistled loudly. Stefan turned around in time to catch the ball, just inches from his face. He smiled, and threw it back to Tyler, using a little bit of his vampire strength to do so. Tyler caught the ball, and was surprised by the force with which Stefan had thrown it. Matt and Phoebe laughed at his surprise. In the hallway Elena suggests that Stefan join the football team in order to make friends in school. Stefan expresses his love for football though he thinks that football doesn't like him because of Tyler and Matt.

In history class Bonnie absentmindedly doodles the same numbers over and over again: 8, 14, and 22. Mr. Tanner asks the class when WWII ended. No one answered. Phoebe sat in the back of the class, next to Matt, reading a book. Without looking up from the book, she mumbled to herself, "1945."

"Anyone got anything?" Tanner asked. "Miss Juan?"

Juan shrugged and shook her head.

"1945," said Tanner, giving up on anyone being able to answer him.

Elena turned back to Stefan, "Psst. FYI, our team sucks. They could use you."

"Pearl Harbor?" asked Tanner.

Again, without looking up, Phoebe mumbled, "December 7th, 1941."

Stefan leaned forward, and whispered back, "Can't. I'm a loner."

Elena giggled.

"Miss Gilbert?" questioned Tanner, addressing Elena.

Phoebe didn't know which twin he was addressing, and looked up from her book.

Elena faced forward, "Hmm?"

"Pearl Harbor?" Tanner repeated.

Elena struggled to answer, "Um..."

"December 7th, 1941," Stefan answered.

"Thank you, Miss Gilbert," said Tanner. Everyone laughed.

"Any time," replied Stefan.

"Very well," said Tanner. "The fall of the Berlin Wall?"

"1989," Stefan answered. "I'm very good with dates, sir."

"Really? How good?" asked Tanner. "Keep it to the year. Civil Rights Act."

"1964."

"John F. Kennedy assassination," Tanner continued.

"1963."

Tanner began to get annoyed, "Martin Luther King."

"1968."

"Lincoln," Tanner challenged.

"1865."

Tanner began trying to trip him up with more complicated history dates, "Roe vs. Wade."

"1973."

"Brown vs. Board," Tanner tried again, moving closer.

"1954."

"Battle of Gettysburg," Tanner continued.

"1863."

"Korean War," Tanner said. He was certain that would do the trick. Having to remember a time span, rather than a simple year.

"1950 to 1953," Stefan answered.

"Ha!" exclaimed Tanner, gloating. "It ended in '52."

As Tanner headed back to the front of the room, Phoebe told him, "Actually, sir, it was '53."

Tanner glowered at her for a moment, before ordering, "Look it up, somebody. Quickly."

People began looking it up on their phones and in their books. One kid found it online, "It was 19...53."

The class clapped for Stefan and Phoebe, but Tanner glared at them both. The bell rang, and they were dismissed. Out in the hallway Elena asks how Stefan knew all that, which he responds that he has had years and years of crossword puzzles.

After school Elena has cheerleading practice, while Matt has football practice. Phoebe sits high up in the bleachers, like she always does. Stefan goes out to the field, because he's debating whether or not to join the team. He sees Phoebe in the bleachers, and joins her. She doesn't notice him at first, because she's so engrossed in what she's doing.

Stefan sat on the row right below her, but turned back to face her, "Homework?"

Phoebe looked up, "Hmm?" Oh! No, I usually have my homework finished before class is even over. This is just a sketching journal."

"I didn't know you could draw," Stefan replied. He gestured to the journal, "May I?"

Phoebe nodded, and handed him her sketch book. She had been sketching an image of an angry Mr. Tanner. As Stefan looked it over, Phoebe explained, "I'm not very good with words, so I fill my journals with images of what happened or how I feel."

"You're a talented artist," Stefan told her, returning her journal to her.

She smiled, "Thank you."

Across the field at the cheerleading practice, Elena convinces Bonnie to come over for dinner with her, Phoebe, and Stefan. The two wonder where Caroline is, but she is soon dropped off by Damon. Before driving away, Damon notices Phoebe in the bleachers, talking to Stefan. He tunes in with his vampire hearing, and eavesdrops.

"You know, you shouldn't let Tanner get to you," Stefan told her. "Don't let him make you feel small, just because he's the teacher. You're very smart. Smarter than him."

"But that's the problem," Phoebe replied. "If I try to tell him that I'm right, he just embarrasses me in front of everyone."

"Why don't you talk to the principal?" Stefan asked.

"I tried once. He just told me that I was being disrespectful of Mr. Tanner by correcting him. And that by pushing the matter I was throwing it in their faces that I think I'm smarter than they are," she explained. "It's just easier to keep my head down, and pretend I'm as average as the rest of my classmates."

"Well, don't worry, that'll all change when you go to college. You can be as smart as you want, and they even have teacher that like for their students to challenge them," Stefan told her.

Phoebe gave a small smile, "Can't wait."

"Well, speaking of blending in," he began. "I need to go talk to Tanner about joining the football team."

"Good luck," said Phoebe. She glanced over at the cheerleaders, and saw Damon. He waved to her, and then drove away. Phoebe watched him go, then turned to a fresh page in her journal, and began to draw.

Mr. Tanner ungenerously agrees to let Stefan try out for the team. Tyler insists that he and Matt give Stefan a hard time. Elena has difficulty keeping up at cheerleading practice so Caroline tells her to "just observe today". Stefan impresses everyone with his football skills at practice, especially Mr. Tanner. Regretting his involvement in Tyler's plan to embarrass Stefan during practice, Matt apologizes. Stefan then takes of his gloves and reveals a dislocated pinky, which quickly heals after he relocates it.

After practice at the Salvatore House, Damon antagonizes Stefan by reading his journal and taunting him, regarding Elena. Damon then goes off on a date with Caroline. While preparing dinner, Bonnie tells Elena that she keeps seeing the numbers 8, 14, and 22. Elena mockingly says "maybe we should play the lottery". Elena then looks for serving spoons which Bonnie tells her "middle drawer on the left" and she was right. Bonnie then tests herself by saying birthday candles and opening the drawer to find birthday candles. Dinner is awkward until Stefan tells Bonnie that her family heritage of witches is something to be proud of.

The doorbell rings, and Phoebe hops up to answer it. She opens the door to find Damon and Caroline.

"Surprise!" said Caroline.

Phoebe looked at them, feeling both confused and a little jealous.

Caroline handed Phoebe a cake, "Bonnie said you guys were doing dinner, so we brought desert."

"Oh," said Phoebe, accepting the cake. "Thanks."

"Hope you don't mind," said Damon.

Phoebe forced a smile and shook her head, as Caroline stepped inside.

Stefan appeared, and addressed his brother, "What are you doing here?"

"Waiting for Phoebe to invite me in," Damon answered.

"Oh, right, sorry. Com-" Phoebe began.

Stefan cut her off, "No, no, no. He can't, uh...he can't stay. Can you, Damon?"

Damon looked at his brother. Phoebe looked back and forth between the two.

"Get in here," commanded Caroline.

"We're just finishing up," pressed Stefan.

Phoebe continued to eye the brothers, suspiciously, "It's okay. Damon, you can come in."

Damon gave his brother a gloating smile, and Stefan looked concerned. Both things Phoebe took notice of.

"You have a beautiful home, Phoebe," Damon complimented.

"Thank you," Phoebe replied, gesturing for him to have a seat in the living room. She headed into the kitchen, and told Elena and Bonnie about Caroline and Damon's arrival. She made some coffee, and dished up the cake. When it was done, Stefan and Elena helped her bring it all into the living room, where they were all sitting and talking.

"I cannot believe that Mr. Tanner let you on the team," Caroline told Stefan. "Oh, Tyler must be seething. But good for you. Go for it."

"That's what I always tell him. You have to engage. You can't just sit there and wait for life to come to you. You have to go get it," Damon agreed. Stefan scowled at his brother.

"Yeah, Elena wasn't so lucky today," Caroline began. "It's only because you missed summer camp. God, I don't know how you're ever gonna learn the routines."

"I'll work with her. She'll get it," Bonnie chimed in.

Caroline began thinking out loud, "I guess we can put her in the back."

Phoebe rolled her eyes, and began stacking everyone's plates together. Damon noticed, and tried engaging her into the conversation, "So, are you a cheerleader, too, Phoebe?"

Phoebe looked up, but Caroline's laughter stopped her from answering, "Phoebe, a cheerleader?! Oh my God, no. Perky isn't in her vocabulary, even before her parents died. I mean, I know Elena doesn't exactly seem perky, either, but she used to be way more fun. She's just going through a total blah phase right now."

Bonnie, Elena, and Phoebe all glared at Caroline. She noticed this, and quickly added, "And I say that with complete sensitivity."

"I'm sorry. I know what it's like to lose both your parents. In fact, Stefan and I have watched almost every person we've ever cared about die," said Damon.

"We don't need to get into that right now, Damon," Stefan told him.

"Ah, you know what, you're right, Stef. I'm sorry," said Damon, with false sincerity. "The last thing I wanted to do was bring her up."

An awkward silence fell on the room.

Over at the Grill, Jeremy watches Vicki and Tyler from a distance. Matt takes notice, and tries to make him feel better. It doesn't work. Jeremy ends up in a shoving match with Tyler, which Matt has to break up.

Back at the Gilbert house, Caroline has broken the silence, and started talking again. Phoebe stands up, and gathers the dishes.

"Where you going?" Damon inquired.

"To do the dishes. There's only so much of Caroline I can tolerate," Phoebe answered. She put on an innocent expression, and told Caroline, "And I say that with complete sensitivity."

As she walked away, Elena and Bonnie shared a look, and Caroline's jaw dropped a little. Damon hid a smile, as did Stefan. No one offered to help Phoebe in the kitchen, because the girls all knew that it was what Phoebe did when she wanted to get away from socializing. Since Damon didn't know this, he seized the opportunity to talk to her alone, again. He waited a few minutes, and then followed her into the kitchen.

"One more," said Damon, bringing her another glass.

Phoebe reached for it, but dropped it. Damon caught it, and gave it to her again. She smiled, "Nice save."

"I like you. You know how to smile, and have fun," he responded, helping her load the dishwasher.

Trying to deflect the conversation away from her, she asked, "Did you mean Katherine, earlier?"

"Mhmm."

"…How did she die?"

Damon looked off into the distance, "A fire. Tragic fire."

"Was it recent?"

"Seems like it was yesterday," he smiled.

"What was she like?"

Damon got serious, "She was beautiful. A lot like you in that department."

Phoebe smiled.

Damon continued, "She was just very complicated, and selfish, and at times not very kind; but very sexy and seductive."

A light bulb went off for Phoebe, "So, which one of you dated her first?"

Damon chuckled, "Nicely deduced."

Phoebe smiled, and walked over to the island.

"So why don't you have a boyfriend?" asked Damon.

"I'm the town nerd. The guys here only want to use me for my brain, or to make fun of me."

"How do they use you? If you don't mind my asking."

"They usually try to date me close to major exams, so I'll let them copy off of me. Or they'll try to sweet talk me into doing their schoolwork, while their off fooling around with other girls."

"You're kidding."

"Nope. Wish I was."

Damon sat on a stool next to her, and looked her in the eye, "I'm sorry. You deserve better."

She could tell he meant it, "Thank you."

He twitched a smile, and began folding place mats.

"I'm sorry, too."

He looked up at her confused.

"About Katherine. You lost her too."

His expression changed to surprise, then serious. He had no idea what to say to that. He was thankful when Elena and Bonnie entered the kitchen, offering their help.

In the other room, Stefan asks Caroline to take her scarf off, but she can't. She's been compelled by Damon. Damon walks in on them and asks Caroline to help Phoebe, Bonnie, and Elena with the dishes. Stefan then confirms his suspicion that Damon is feeding off of Caroline and attempts to convince him that humans are not to be used for his amusement; Damon counters by reminding him that he has been invited into Elena's house. He then taunts Stefan that he'll come every night, and will do whatever he wants to do with Elena. Later that night Damon invades one of Elena's dreams and turns it into a nightmare, which she wakes up from. The next day Elena contemplates whether or not to quit cheerleading.

At the Salvatore house, Stefan writes in his journal: "There must be a shred of humanity left inside my brother, somewhere, I keep hoping, but how do I make him see it? And how do I protect her?"

He has an idea, and walks to a nearby shelf. He takes a large box off the shelf and collects something from inside it.

At the football game, Elena tells Stefan that she quit the cheerleading squad, and he gives her a necklace with vervain in it. Prior to the game, Mr. Tanner gives a pep talk that highlights Stefan's talents, irritating Tyler. He picks a fight with a drunken Jeremy, and Stefan attempts to break it up, getting his hand is cut in the process by Jeremy. The twins' first concern is Jeremy, but he shrugs his sisters off of him and walks away. After checking on Jeremy, Elena examines Stefan's hand, which shows no sign of injury. He tells her it wasn't his blood, and he's fine. Elena believes him, but Phoebe is still confused. She swears she saw his hand get cut open.

_'Bonnie was right. There's something off about him,'_ she thought to herself. _'Wait. Elena said Bonnie had a vision about Stefan. What did she see?'_

Phoebe took off to find Bonnie, and ask her about her vision. She found her with the other cheerleaders, waiting to run out on the field.

"Hey, Bonnie," greeted Phoebe.

"Hey, Phoebe," replied Bonnie. She looked around for Elena, "Where's Elena?"

"She's coming. There was an incident with Jeremy and Tyler, it's fine now, though," replied Phoebe.

"Jeremy okay?" asked Bonnie.

"Yeah, he's fine. Elena just wanted to steal a moment with Stefan, before he got geared up for the game," Phoebe lied. "Can I ask you a question, and you give me a serious no-joke response?"

"Of course. What is it?" asked Bonnie, mildly concerned.

Phoebe looked around, before continuing, "The bad mojo you told Elena about...the one where you touched Stefan and had that bad reaction."

"You know what, forget I said that. Elena's little dinner party plot totally won me over," replied Bonnie.

"No, Bonnie, seriously. What was it?" pressed Phoebe. "I promise, I won't judge or make fun."

Bonnie took a deep breathe, "It wasn't clear like a picture. When I touched Stefan, it was a feeling. And it vibrated through me, and it was cold, and it-."

Phoebe waited a moment for her to continue, but she didn't, "And it what?"

"It was death. It's what I imagine death to be like," answered Bonnie.

Phoebe's mind was racing with questions, but she'd bothered Bonnie enough, "Thanks, Bonnie."

Bonnie forced a small smile, and a nod.

In the parking lot, Damon attempts to compel Elena. He tries to kiss her, but she slaps him in the face and reminds him that she is Stefan's girlfriend. Elsewhere, Matt expresses his appreciation for Stefan having helped Jeremy and apologizes for his previous behavior towards him. When Matt walks inside the locker room, Damon makes his presence known.

"Isn't that nice?" Damon asked, clapping. "Stefan joins a team, makes a friend. It's all so 'Rah, rah, go team, yeah!'."

"Not tonight. I'm done with you," Stefan replied, turning away.

Damon flitted to stand in front of Stefan, "Nice trick with Elena. Let me guess, vervain in the necklace? I admit, I was a bit surprised. It's been a while since anyone could resist my compulsion. Where'd you get it?"

"Does it matter?" Stefan asked.

"Guess I could just seduce her the old-fashioned way," said Damon.

Stefan began walking away again.

"Or I could just...eat her," Damon added.

Stefan stopped, and turned back, "No. You're not gonna hurt her, Damon."

"No?" questioned Damon.

"Because deep down inside, there is a part of you that feels for Phoebe. You won't hurt her sister," Stefan explained.

Damon made a face.

"I was worried that you had no humanity left inside of you; that you may have become the monster that you pretend to be," Stefan continued.

"Who's pretending?" Damon interrupted.

"Then kill me," Stefan told him.

"Well, I'm-I'm tempted," Damon began.

It was Stefan's turn to interrupt him, "No, you're not. You've had lifetimes to do it, and yet, here I am. I'm still alive. And there you are. You're still haunting me. After 145 years."

Damon seemed both amused and bored at the same time, until Stefan told him, "Katherine is dead. And you hate me, because you loved her; and you torture me, because you still do. And that, my brother, is your humanity."

Tanner came outside, and called, "Salvatore! What the hell? We've got a game to play!"

"If that's my humanity...then what's this?" Damon asked. He attacked Tanner, feeding on him until he was dead.

"No!" Stefan cried.

Tanner's body fell to the ground, and Damon addressed his brother, "Anyone, any time, any place."

Inside the locker room, Matt puts Tyler in his place, then leaves the locker room and discovers Tanner's body. The ambulance takes the body away, and Bonnie becomes freaked out when she sees a sign on the building that says "BLDG 8", the number 14 on a license plate, and parking space 22. Vicki finds Jeremy under the bleachers and gives him the answer from his earlier question; that she did not sleep with him just for the drugs. Elena is confused and upset by the evening's events, and Stefan assures her that they will be fine.

At the Salvatore house, Stefan writes in his journal: "I thought there was hope. That somewhere deep inside, something in Damon was still human...normal. But I was wrong. There's nothing human left in Damon. No good, no kindness, no love. Only a monster... who must be stopped."

As Stefan writes in his journal, Damon pays Phoebe a visit. He goes to her room, after she's fallen asleep. Her room was similar to Elena's, but across the hall on the other side of the house. She had a window seat, with three drawers in it, and pillows. Her walls were purple, underneath the posters and her drawings that covered them. When you enter the room (through the door) to the left is a small table with a laptop, then a bookshelf full of books, and then the window seat. On the other side of that was her dresser. The wall straight ahead had two windows, and her bed lay in between them. To the right of her bed she had a night stand with a reading lamp and an alarm clock. Along the right wall was her closet and mirror.

Damon came in through the window above the window seat. Phoebe had fallen asleep in bed, reading, like she had many times before. Damon removed her glasses, and placed them on her night stand. He placed her book on top of the stack of books on the floor next to the bed. He then switched off the light, and stroked her cheek with the back of his hand, and left.


	4. Family Ties

Chapter 4: Family Ties

Elena wakes up in the middle of the night, and goes downstairs to check if someone's in the house. When she gets down the stairs she goes to the living room, where the TV has been turned on. The news is about her being found dead after an "animal attack". Damon then chases her around the house, until he attacks her and bites her on the neck. Stefan then wakes up and realizes that it was just a nightmare. Damon was actually playing with Stefan's head, which he realizes when he mockingly asks "bad dream?". After deciding to stay in Mystic Falls for a while, Damon gleefully tells Stefan that the officials have announced the capture of the "animal" responsible for the recent attacks in town.

As Stefan writes an entry in his journal: "The real animal is still out there. Waiting for me. Challenging me to fight back, to stop him. But how do I stop the monster without becoming one myself?"

Over at the Gilbert House, Jenna is watching the news, mocking the reporter, Logan Fell, "Scum Ball. Scum Bucket."

"Who are you talking to?" Elena asked, entering the room.

Jenna nodded to the TV, "Him."

"The news guy?" she questioned.

"Also known as Logan 'Scum' Fell," Jenna confirmed.

Phoebe entered the kitchen, and began fixing her coffee, "What do you have against the news guy?"

"Did your mom ever tell you why I moved away from Mystic Falls?" Jenna replied.

The twins shared a look, then said in unison, "No way!"

"He's cute," Elena added.

"He is not cute. There is nothing cute about him," Jenna argued, turning the TV off. "You ready to go?"

Elena sat down at the table, and began polishing the contents of her mother's trinket box, "Go where?"

"Jenna's taking me dress shopping for the Ball tonight," Phoebe answered. "Apparently nothing I own is nice enough for something like this."

Elena grinned, "Lucky."

Jeremy joined Elena in the kitchen, as Jenna and Phoebe headed for the door. He saw the antiques she was polishing, and picked one up, "How much do you think this stuff is worth? You know, like on eBay?"

"You're not gonna find out," Elena told him, taking back the piece he had picked up.

"That stuff is mom and dad's. You can't just give it away," said Jeremy.

"I'm not giving it away. It's called a loan, Jeremy," she replied.

Jenna and Phoebe opened the front door to leave, and found Stefan standing there. Jenna told him to come on in, while Phoebe called out, "Elena, Stefan's here!"

Jenna and Phoebe left, and Elena got up to greet Stefan. After which, the two went up to her room to make out, but Stefan's face changes and he backs off. Elena then asks Stefan to escort her to the Founder's Ball. Stefan accepts the invitation.

In Caroline's room Damon teases Caroline about "Twilight" and compels her to ask him to accompany her to the Founder's Ball. Caroline asks if the bites will turn her into a vampire, which Damon then explains how one is 'turned' into a vampire. Later at the Grill, Vicki is angered by Tyler's indifference displayed towards her when he is with his parents. Bonnie and Caroline arrive, and Bonnie expresses concern about Caroline seeing Damon, but Caroline assures Bonnie that Damon is safe. He just has lots of issues with his brother. Bonnie can tell she's hiding something and encourages Caroline to give away the secret that she's keeping. After his parents leave the Grill, Tyler repays Vicki by asking her to the Founder's Ball. Jeremy makes the unwelcome remark to Vicki that she had to ask Tyler to ask her to go to the Founder's Ball.

Over at the dress shop, Phoebe is having a hard time finding a dress she likes. Jenna manages to help her find a couple, but once she tried them on it's clear they aren't for her. As Phoebe tries on dresses in the dressing room, Jenna glances over and sees the perfect dress. She grabs one in Phoebe's size, and brings it over to the dressing rooms.

"Hey, Phoebe, I think I found the perfect dress for you," Jenna called.

"That's what you said last time," Phoebe called back.

"I know, but this one really is perfect," Jenna told her.

"That's what you said last time," Phoebe repeated.

Jenna rolled her eyes, "Just try it on."

"I'm tired of trying on clothes," Phoebe whined.

"At least stick your head out, and look at it," Jenna pushed.

Phoebe sighed and stuck her head out of the stall to look. Jenna held up the dress for her to see. The dress _was_ perfect. It was a sleeveless black cocktail dress, with a sleek bodice and a bateau neckline. It had an A-line skirt that was mid-thigh length.

"I'll take it!" Phoebe declared, dashing back inside the stall.

Jenna smiled to herself, proudly, "Good. I'll bring it to the register. You go find a pair of shoes to wear with it."

Phoebe exited the stall, frowning, "I don't have to wear heels, do I?"

Jenna laughed, "No. Just grab a pair of black flats."

"Oh, thank God," Phoebe sighed. She took off to find the shoes, while Jenna brought the dress to the register. It didn't take Phoebe long to find some shoes and bring them to the register. By the time she got there, though, the dress was already folded up inside the bag. They paid for the merchandise, and headed home.

At the Salvatore boarding house, Zach angers Damon by asking why he has returned to Mystic Falls. Damon then chokes Zach, but Stefan intervenes between the two. Zach encourages him to get rid of Damon by using vervain on him, which he has secretly been growing in the basement of the boarding house.

Tyler goes to the Gilbert home to retrieve a box of donated items for the heritage display at the Founder's Ball. While helping Elena ready herself for the party, Bonnie shares Caroline's secret, which is that Katherine picked Damon over Stefan and that Stefan did everything to break them up. Elena thinks that it's only Damon's side of the story, but Bonnie points out how little she actually knows Stefan.

Later on, while everyone is getting ready for the Ball, Mrs. Lockwood calls. Jenna is in the shower, and the other two Gilbert children have headphones on, so Elena answers the phone. Mrs. Lockwood tells Elena that the pocket watch was not among the items that Tyler picked up for the display. Elena tells her she will find it, and bring it with her to the Ball. Once off the phone, Elena charges into her brother's room and accuses him of taking the watch.

Across the hall in Phoebe's room, Phoebe finishes her makeup and removes her headphones. She hears her siblings arguing, and peers at them through her open door.

"Don't even play that card. Jeremy, you took it," Elena accused. "If I go online, am I going to find it on eBay? Is that how you pay for your pot?"

"Screw you," Jeremy snapped. He got to his feet, and retrieved the watch from its hiding place. "I would never sell this, okay?"

"Then why did you take it?" Elena asked.

"Because it's supposed to be mine. Dad said it goes to the firstborn son. His father gave it to him, and now what?" he replied, slapping the watch into her hand.

"And he was going to give it to you," Elena mumbled.

"Yeah."

"Look, Jeremy, it's still yours, okay? Mom promised Mrs. Lockwood," she explained. "What do you want me to do?"

"Just take it and get out," Jeremy told her.

Elena felt bad, but took the watch anyway. Phoebe turned away, and resumed getting ready.

At the Boarding House, the brothers get ready for the Ball. Damon blames Stefan for spiking his Scotch with vervain. On his way out the door, Zach hands Stefan a small vial of vervain, telling him that this time it is twice as strong. Stefan takes it, and heads for the Gilbert house.

Back at the Gilbert House, the girls, except for Phoebe, are just about ready to go. Phoebe's a little slower, because she doesn't get this dressed up very often. She walks over to her sister's room, and knocks on the door.

"Come in," Elena calls.

Phoebe enters the room, "Hey, do you mind if I borrow that hair clip with the black bow on it?"

"It's all yours," Elena replied with a smile. She turned away so Bonnie could zip her up.

Phoebe headed towards the bathroom where the clip was, but on her way she snatched the watch out of Elena's handbag. When she got into the bathroom, she grabbed the clip, and walked briskly back to her room. Shortly after returning to her room, she heard the doorbell ring. It was Stefan. Aunt Jenna, Bonnie, Stefan, and Elena all left together and Phoebe gave a huge sigh of relief. She walked to her mirror, and pinned back the hair on the left side of her head with the clip. Satisfied, she walked over to her bed where Jenna had laid out her dress, and picked it up. As she turned it over to unzip it, she found there was no zipper. In fact the entire upper part of the back was made of wide straps, made to show off some skin.

Phoebe's jaw dropped, and her eyes widened, "Oh no."

The doorbell rang, again. Phoebe dropped the dress on the bed, and ran downstairs to answer the door. It was Matt. She grabbed his arm, and dragged him upstairs to her room.

"What's going on?" Matt asked, very much confused.

"Aunt Jenna took me dress shopping today, because nothing I owned was 'appropriate'," she began.

"Okay?"

Phoebe held up the dress for him to see, "This is the dress she found, claiming that it was perfect for me."

Matt studied the dress, "Looks fine to me."

Phoebe turned it around to show the back, "The back is all strappy."

Matt laughed, "So what? People will see a part of your back."

"It's not funny, jerkface, I'm too self-conscious to show off that much skin," Phoebe replied, playfully hitting him with the dress.

"Phoebe, it's not that bad. You're overreacting," he told her.

She thought about it, and sighed, "Maybe I _am_ overreacting, a little."

"Glad you somewhat agree. Now, you get dressed, I'll be downstairs," he told her.

Phoebe smiled, and nodded. Matt went downstairs, and Phoebe slipped on the dress. She put on her shoes and a pair of diamond stud earrings, then studied her reflection in the mirror. She was still iffy on the strappy back, but took a deep breath and headed out. She makes a quick stop over to Jeremy's room, and places the pocket watch on the desk in front of him. Jeremy, who has his headphones on, looks at the watch, then up at his sister. Phoebe places a finger on her lips, as she smiles down at him. Jeremy smiles back, and gives her a gesture of 'thank you'. Phoebe winks in response, and leaves.

At the Founder's Ball, Damon and Caroline arrive while the sun is still up, as so do Elena and Stefan. Caroline argues with her mom about her bringing Damon as her date. Damon looks around for Phoebe and spots her arriving with Matt. He was happy to see her, but not with Matt. He didn't like her bringing a date, because he was hoping to talk to her alone, again. Now he was going to have to work for it. A former boyfriend of Jenna's, Logan Fell, makes an attempt at reconciliation.

Once it got dark, Damon went to work on getting Phoebe alone. He compelled Caroline to ask Stefan to dance, and then compelled Matt to ask Elena to dance. With both of their siblings and dates occupied, Damon set out to find Phoebe. He found her looking at the exhibit with the original Founders' Party guest registry. She'd noticed Damon and Stefan's names on it, and was confused.

"Stefan and Damon Salvatore?" she questioned, in a hushed tone.

"The original Salvatore brothers," said Damon, walking up to her. "Our ancestors. Tragic story, actually."

"I'm sure it is," replied Phoebe, walking away.

"Wait," he called after her. He followed her, and blocked her path, "I'm assuming Elena told you about the other night."

"You mean, when you tried to kiss her?" she asked, bitterly.

"Yes. That one," he confirmed. "I wanted to apologize to her, but she won't give me the chance. I was hoping you could tell her for me. I was a world-class jerk, and there's no excuse. My therapist says I'm acting out, trying to punish Stefan."

Once again, Phoebe knew she was being baited, but bit anyway, "For what?"

"It is all in the past. I don't even wanna bring it up. Let's just say that the men in the Salvatore family have been cursed with sibling rivalry," he replied. "And it all started with the original Salvatore brothers."

On the dance floor, Stefan toasts to Caroline and watches her sip from the glass that he obtained for her. Back at the exhibit, Phoebe knew there was more to what Damon was saying, or rather, not saying; but she gave an intrigued expression, anyway.

Damon began showing her around, telling her about his family, "The Salvatore name was practically royalty in this town, until the war. There was a battle her-."

"The Battle of Willow Creek," said Phoebe, cutting him off.

Damon was impressed, "Right."

"I read about it, once. And we've been talking about it in class," she explained. "Confederate soldiers fired on a church with civilians inside."

"What the History books left out was that the people that were killed, they weren't there by accident. They were believed to be Union sympathizers, so some of the Founders on the Confederate side back then ordered them round up and burned alive," added Damon. He looked down at the model of the church, as though recalling a painful memory," Stefan and Damon had someone they loved very much in that church. And when they went to rescue them, they were shot. Murdered in cold blood."

"Phoebe took note of his body language, and proceeded carefully, "Who was in the church that they wanted to save?"

He looked up at her, "A woman, I guess. Doesn't it always come down to the love of a woman?"

Phoebe looked into his eyes, and could tell the smile he gave was genuine. And in that moment she knew that, no matter what was really going on, they had a connection. No matter what deep, dark secrets lay between the two brothers, no matter what he's done, will do, or was even capable of; he would never hurt her, nor would he let anything happen to her. She wasn't sure how she knew these things, she just did. She could feel it in her gut. She also felt and overwhelming desire to kiss him, thus making her wish more than ever that he wasn't dating Caroline. However, it wasn't because of his charms, good-looks, or smooth-talking abilities. It was because she could look past his uncaring, bad-boy act, and see the qualities that no one else could see. He did care about things, and had feelings. He had good in him. It was just buried deep down. _Very_ deep down.

Phoebe realized that she had been staring too long, and tore her eyes away, "I hope that, whatever your issues are with Stefan, you two can work them out."

"I do, too," he replied. He then escorted her out to the dance floor, where they reunited with their respective dates.

Outside, Vicki is insulted by Tyler's refusal to treat her with respect, and leaves the party early. Bonnie alone at a table relights a candle just by staring at it. Damon and Phoebe made it out to the dance floor, and found Stefan and Elena had paired back up, and Matt and Caroline were talking. The next song began to play, Damon thought about asking Phoebe to dance. However Matt beat him to it.

Matt turned to Phoebe and asked, "Wanna dance?"

Phoebe smiled at her friend and replied, "Of course."

Damon watched with envy, as Matt took Phoebe out on the floor. Caroline commented on how cute the twins were with their dates, which only annoyed Damon all the more.

Back inside, Logan tries again with Jenna, but fails. Elena asks Stefan about Katherine, though he doesn't tell her. Frustrated, Elena leaves Stefan alone on the dance floor. Phoebe was having a good time dancing with Matt, until she heard Stefan and Elena fighting. Elena walked away from Stefan, and back into the house. Phoebe excused herself from Matt, and followed her sister. Just inside the door, Carol Lockwood asks Elena for the pocket watch. Elena opens her purse to give it to her, but discovers it's missing. She's confused for a moment, but then realizes Phoebe must've taken it to give to Jeremy. She apologizes to Mrs. Lockwood, and makes an excuse not having it.

Elsewhere, Damon reveals the true motive for attending the Founder's Ball when he retrieves a crystal hidden in a wooden box in the Heritage Display. Logan wins over Jenna when she finally agrees to a date. Bonnie amazes herself when she is able to light every candle in the dining room using her powers.

Phoebe follows Elena into the ladies room, where Elena gives Phoebe the cliff notes version of the argument. Not wanting to ruin her night, Elena assures her sister that she'll be fine, and encourages her to go have fun with Matt. Phoebe does as she wishes, and returns outside. However, her intention is to speak with Stefan, not return to having fun. On her way out, Caroline enters the ladies' room for a makeup touch-up. There Elena discovers the bite marks on Caroline, and heads out to confront Damon.

Back outside, Damon is waiting for Phoebe to return. Once he lays eyes on her, he wastes no time, "Phoebe. Just the girl I was looking for."

"Really? Why?" asked Phoebe, confused. She looked around as though she expected to find some other girl behind her, named Phoebe.

"I was hoping to steal a dance," he replied.

"With me?" she questioned.

"Yes, you," he confirmed.

"I'd love to. I mean, sure," she answered, nervously.

"Good," grinned Damon, holding out his hand.

Phoebe looked down at his hand, "I can't. Not right now, at least. I have to take care of something, real quick. But after-."

Damon nodded, understandingly, "I'll be right here."

Phoebe smiled back, before taking off to find Stefan. Damon watched her leave, smiling to himself. He received a rude awakening, when Elena found him. Elena spun him around to face her, before tearing into him.

"There is something seriously wrong with you. You stay away from Caroline or I will go straight to her mother, the Sheriff. And I don't know what's going on with you and my sister, but it stops now. You don't go anywhere near her, or you're gonna have to deal with me. You got it? Stay away from them," scolded Elena.

She gave him no chance to answer. She walked away, leaving Damon worried about what she might say to Phoebe. As soon as she was far enough away, Damon went to find Caroline.

Phoebe finds Stefan not far from the party, by the water. His back was to her, but he already knew she was there. However, Phoebe didn't know that.

"Trust is earned, ya know," commented Phoebe.

Stefan played surprise, turning around, "Phoebe? What are you-."

Phoebe silenced him by holding up her hand, "I'm not here to argue with you, or to get into a lengthy discussion. I have someone waiting to sign my dance card. I'm just here to tell you that my sister really likes you, and that's why she's so insistent on knowing more about you. That's how relationships work. The mysterious stranger appeal only goes so far. If you really care about my sister, and you want a relationship with her, then you're going to have to open up. She's not asking you to become an open book, and reveal your deep, dark secrets. She just doesn't want you to be that blacked-out CIA file anymore."

Stefan laughed at her comparison.

"Just tell her the little things, Stefan. Your favorite color, favorite food, favorite movie, your middle name, etc.," she continued.

"I get your point," he replied.

"I hope you do," she said, heading back to the party. Unfortunately, Damon was gone when she returned for their dance.

Vicki appears on Jeremy's doorstep and they kiss. Having removed Caroline from view, Damon sinks his teeth into her neck, and then collapses on to the grass in pain. Stefan confesses to Damon that he couldn't spike his drink so he spiked Caroline's drink with vervain. After awakening, Caroline grabs the crystal and conceals it within her purse. Elena then finds and comforts Caroline.

At the Boarding House, Stefan and Zach lock Damon into a cell in the basement. After which, Stefan makes a new entry in his journal: "I did what I had to do. To protect Elena. To protect everyone. Yes, Damon, the headline reads 'Deadly Beast Captured. All is Well in Mystic Falls'."

Later that evening, the mayor, his wife, Sheriff Forbes, and Logan Fell meet to discuss how to retrieve the pocket watch, saying, "They've come back."


	5. You're Undead to Me

Chapter 5: You're Undead to Me

Damon has been in the basement for three days; Stefan explains this when Damon asks how long he's been in there. Stefan says that Damon's skin will desiccate in a week and he will become a living corpse, unable to hurt anyone. Then he will take Damon to their family's crypt and in fifty years they will reevaluate.

Elena wakes up and tries to write in her journal, but can't decide what to write. She goes to the bathroom and finds Vicki brushing her teeth. A confused Elena goes downstairs and asks Jenna if she is aware that Vicki is in the house. Jenna seems fine with it. Jenna lets her know she is going out with Logan later, and then she and Elena discuss Stefan's absence, and Elena mocks the message Stefan sent her.

In Caroline's bedroom, Bonnie tries to light a candle with her mind, while Caroline goes on about Damon, and the gaps in her memory. Later at school, Caroline passes out flyers for the upcoming car wash fundraiser. Stefan shows up, and apologizes to Elena about being absent for the past four days. Elena, still upset, shrugs it off. Caroline approaches the two, and asks Stefan where Damon is. Stefan tells her he's gone, and isn't coming back. He then heads to class.

Later in Science class, Stefan arrives to find Phoebe's already sitting at their station, reading a book. He sits next to her, and opens his mouth to speak, but she stops him.

Without looking up, she addresses him, "Let me guess, you want my help smoothing things over with my sister."

"How did you-," began Stefan.

"Well, it was either that or you wanted the notes for the classes that you've missed," she replied, still looking down at her book.

"Well, I do need-," he began, again.

Phoebe slid over a copy of her notes, without looking.

Stefan looked down at the notes, then Phoebe, "Okay, Radar. What am I thinking, now?"

Phoebe smiled as she put down her book, and replied, "That I remind you of Radar O'Reilly."

Stefan smiled, "Good guess."

The bell rang, and class began.

"Meet me at the Grill, after school. We can strategize how to mend your relationship with my sister, there," whispered Phoebe.

Stefan gave a single nod, "Yes, ma'am."

After school, Phoebe heads over to the Grill, like she and Stefan had planned. However, when she arrives, Stefan isn't there. She sees Matt at the pool table and joins him.

"Hey, Matty," she greeted him.

"Hey. I thought you and Stefan were hangin' out tonight," Matt replied.

"We are, but he doesn't seem to be here, yet," she said, looking around. "You haven't seen him, have you?"

"Nope."

Phoebe sighed and glanced at the entrance, again.

"If you wanna kill some time, um, you can rack," Matt offered.

"Nah, I'm sure he'll be here, soon. I'll just get a table," Phoebe replied., She flashed a smile, and headed off to get a table.

"Oh, come on," Matt pushed. "I'll let you break."

Phoebe stopped in her tracks, and looked back at her friend. He wore a huge cocky grin, because he knew he had her. Phoebe narrowed her eyes and smiled, "You always know just what to say."

Matt shrugged, Doesn't every good husband?"

"Hmpf!" Phoebe scoffed, racking the balls.

The two spend the next hour shooting pool, and talking. As they reach the hour mark, and still no Stefan, they talk about Vicki and Jeremy.

"So Elena walked into the bathroom and there's Vicki, brushing her teeth in jeremy's shirt. Like it's no big deal they're hooking up."

"Yeah, I'm not gonna lie. You're brother and my sister, that's weird," Matt said.

Phoebe shrugged, "I've gotten kind of used to you Donovan's dating my siblings."

"So, it wasn't weird for you when Elena and I were dating?" he asked.

"Oh, it was weird. But I had to get over it, because she's my sister and you're my best friend," Phoebe answered.

Matt's face became solemn, "I'm sorry. I should've been more considerate of you, before asking her out."

"You were considerate, Matt. You asked my permission," she reminded him. "And you never abandoned me to spend more time with her, or anything. Though, at first, I was a little jealous."

Matt raised his eyebrows, and a smile played on his lips, "Oh, really?"

"Not that kind of jealous," Phoebe told him. "You were _my_ friend and I didn't want to share you."

Matt maintained his expression, and nodded his head.

"What?" she asked.

"Nothin'."

"Stop making that face," she told him.

"What face?" he asked, still making the face.

Phoebe put her pull cue down and started chasing him around the table. As they played, Stefan, finally, arrived.

"Phoebe," said Stefan, making himself known.

Phoebe and Matt stopped and looked at him.

"I'm so sorry that I'm late," Stefan apologized. "I got held up."

"It's okay. I had Matt to keep me company," Phoebe replied. "But I, um, actually need to get going, now. Jenna needs me to pick up a few groceries."

"Oh," said Stefan, disappointed.

"But you can come with me, if you want. We can talk about that thing in the car, and in the store," Phoebe offered.

"Sounds good," Stefan answered, smiling.

Phoebe smiled back, then hugged her friend 'goodbye'.

On their way out, an old man approaches Stefan, "I know you. My God."

"I'm sorry?" Stefan responded.

The man looked him up and down in disbelief, "I know you. How can it be?"

Phoebe looked back and forth between the two, suspiciously.

"I think you have the wrong person, sir," Stefan told him.

"You haven't aged a day," said the man.

Phoebe paid close attention to Stefan's reaction. He looked very uncomfortable.

"I'm sorry. Excuse us," Stefan told him, ushering Phoebe outside. As they left, Phoebe glanced back at the old man. He was staring at Stefan.

" _This is weird,"_ thought Phoebe. _"Really weird."_

As the two walk to the store, Phoebe learns that Stefan can cook. They make a plan for him to cook dinner for Elena, and tell her the little things. They grab what they need, and head for the Gilbert house. Once there, Phoebe helps Stefan get situated in the kitchen, and then texts Jeremy to get Elena to come to the kitchen, without telling her that Stefan was there. He asks her why she couldn't do it, and she explains that the idea is for Elena to think Stefan did this all on his own, not that Phoebe told him to. Elena thinks Phoebe is out with Matt, and that's how it needs to stay. Jeremy agrees, and convinces his sister to go downstairs.

As Elena descends the stairs, Phoebe hides in the dining room. When she enters the kitchen, Phoebe creeps around to the stairs, and up to her room. Once in there, she started writing down every strange little thing about Stefan and Damon. Thus beginning her investigation of the Salvatore brothers.

Back at the Grill, Logan Fell discusses their vampire problem with Sheriff Forbes. Jenna soon arrives for her date with Logan. Back in Jeremy's room, Vicki wants to get high, again. Jeremy tries talking to her about doing things together, without being high; but she responds with comments of Jeremy not being the type of guy to try to change her, now that they're together. Down in the kitchen, Stefan and Elena hit a bump in the road, when Elena accidentally cuts her finger. She sees Stefan's reflection change in the window, and when she tries to see his face, he refuses to turn to face her.

At the Forbes House, Caroline talks to Tiki via the phone about which outfit to wear, and sees a shadow. She freaks out, and ends her conversation with Tiki. Damon's compulsion has begun to work. Later at the Boarding house, Stefan looks at his brother from the cell door. Damon tells him that the lies will catch up to him, as long as he keeps lying to himself about what he is.

At the school car wash, Stefan and Elena learn the car wash's rules from Caroline, when she "scolds" and "judges" their clothing choices. A man arrives with his car, hoping it will get washed, and Tiki comments that it is a "POS". Bonnie, angered with Tiki's attitude, makes the hose run and Tiki gets wet in the process. Jenna watches Logan as he reports from the car wash.

Phoebe sticks with Matt, for the most part, wearing a one-piece swimsuit with a pair of jean shorts. The only time she leaves is when Elena leaves Stefan. Phoebe takes the opportunity to ask him about the rings him and Damon both wear. It was something she's noticed them both having at all times. There were only two things that could make that particularly curious. One was that they both had the same ring, and _never_ take them off. That's normal for one person, but not two. The second thing was Stefan was still wearing it at a car wash. Most people would remove such a gotti ring, while trying to wash cars.

"You're getting soap in that," commented Phoebe, pointing at his ring.

Stefan looked at his ring, "Oh, it's fine."

"I noticed that Damon has one, too. Is there a story behind it?" she inquired.

"Yeah, it's the family crest from the Italian Renaissance," he explained.

"Interesting," she replied. She gestured to his ring, "May I see it?"

"Sure," he answered, holding out his hand.

Phoebe was hoping he'd take it off, but him not only made the ring that much more significant. She took his hand, and examined the ring, "What's the stone?"

"It's called Lapis Lazuli," he answered.

Phoebe smiled, and tried again, "You should really take it off. You don't want it to get messed up."

"No, it's-it's fine, really," he assured her.

Before she could press further, Elena returned, "Hey, Phoebe. Caroline needs you to mind the money, while she gets more towels and those shimmy things."

"Oh, joy, I get to play banker, again," mumbled Phoebe, walking away.

While minding the money, Phoebe meets the old man from the Grill that claimed to know Stefan. She seized the chance to get more answers, and reminded the old man of their prior meeting, "I saw you last night. You were talking to a friend of mine, at the Grill."

The old man recalled the meeting, "Well, I-I thought it was someone I knew."

"Stefan Salvatore?" she asked.

"Nah, it can't be. It's just my mind playing tricks on me," he replied, making excuses.

"Where do you think you've seen him before?" she inquired.

"When I first moved here, I stayed at the Salvatore Boarding House," he replied. "Stefan was just passing through to visit his uncle. I mean, none of us even knew he was here until the attack."

Phoebe grew more intrigued, "What attack?"

"His uncle got killed. Mauled by an animal in the woods," he answered.

Phoebe didn't remember anything about the boys' Uncle Zach being killed in one of the recent animal attacks, so she asked, "His Uncle Zach?"

"Mm-mmm. Joseph," he corrected her.

Phoebe pushed further, but in a more respectful manner, "I'm sorry, sir, I don't think I'm familiar with the story."

"Oh, how could you? I mean, this happened years ago," he explained.

"How many years ago was this, if you don't mind me asking?" she inquired.

"Let's see, it was early June of...19-53. Yeah. June, 1953," he answered.

Phoebe did her best to hide her surprise, "And you're sure that the man you saw was named Stefan Salvatore?"

"Yes. I remember him having a ring, with a big blue stone, and his brother-," he began. He tried to remember Damon's name.

"Damon?" asked Phoebe, trying to help.

"Yeah. Stefan and Damon Salvatore," he confirmed.

Phoebe's mind was racing. She held control of it long enough to thank the old man, "Thank you, sir, for indulging my curiosity."

The old man nodded a 'you're welcome' and moved on.

Caroline goes to get more towels, but sees a vision of Damon in the hallway. Out by the cemetery, Vicki takes Jeremy to hang with her drug-head friends. At the car wash, Phoebe decided the best course of action would be to find out more about the attack in 1953. Video footage, articles, photos. Anything that might mention, if not show Stefan in them. She then remembered Logan Fell was supposed to be covering the car wash, and began looking around for him. She found him with her Aunt Jenna. Phoebe turned money duty over to someone else, and headed straight for Logan.

As Phoebe approached, Logan extended his hand to greet her, "Hi. Phoebe, right? I think I met you once when you were nine."

Phoebe smiled, and shook his hand.

"Your emotional maturity level when we were dating," Jenna jabbed.

"Ouch. Here I thought we were making progress," Logan replied.

Jenna smiled coyly.

"Is he enough in your good graces for me to ask him for a favor?" Phoebe asked.

Logan looked at Jenna, "If I do her a favor, will I get back in your good graces?"

"Uh, a very reluctant maybe to both," Jenna replied.

"Done," Logan began, facing Phoebe again. He quickly turned back to Jenna and added, "Wait. One condition. Dinner, tonight, your house."

"Fine. But you're eating left-overs," Jenna agreed.

"Ooh," Logan cooed, sarcastically. He chuckled, then asked Phoebe, "What do you need?"

"Do you have access to old news stories from the fifties?" Phoebe inquired.

"Yeah, at the station. Between the archives and the internet, we pretty much have everything," Logan answered.

"Great! I have this report do soon…you'd be a life saver," Phoebe lied.

"I'm heading there now," Logan told her. "Let's go."

Phoebe beamed as Logan headed to his van. When he was out of hearing range, Phoebe addressed Jenna, "If anyone asks, you don't know where I went. I don't want anyone to know that I waited this long to do a report. Everyone will just think something's wrong with me, and ask me if I'm okay. And before _you_ ask, I'm fine. Nothing's wrong."

Jenna put her hands up, "Okay. You're fine, and I haven't seen you."

Phoebe gave her a smile, and left with Logan.

At the Salvatore House, Damon's mind control on Caroline is still working. He makes her enter the house, and open his cell door. Zach arrives in time to hold Damon back long enough to let Caroline get away, but unfortunately, Damon kills Zach. At the car wash, Tiki pisses off Bonnie, who starts a huge fire with her mind. Stefan snaps her out of her trance, and promises not to tell anyone. Back at the news station, Logan is called away to report on the fire at the car wash. He quickly tells Phoebe how to work the system, so she can find what she needs, and then leaves. It doesn't take her long. She quickly finds a bit of footage taken at the Salvatore Boarding House. The video shows them taking Joseph Salvatore's body away, then stealing a shot of Stefan in the distance, watching. Phoebe takes out her phone, and records the video to refer to in private.

Out at the cemetery, Jeremy finds out that Vicki stole Elena's pain killers, and scolds her. He tells her that Elena will realize that they're gone, and he'll get into trouble. Jeremy takes the pills back, and leaves. Vicki follows to get him to calm down, but their fight only grows. Jeremy insults her friends by calling them "waste of space, small town lifers". He tries to tell her that she's better than them, but she disagrees. She tells him he'll be able to get past this point in his life, and look back on his dark period in his teens. But she'll still be there, waiting tables, and getting high with people like them.

Later that evening, Caroline sits alone in her room, reflecting on what happened that day. Her mom tries to talk to her, but she insults her, and she leaves. Stefan arrives home to find Damon gone and Zach dead. Bonnie goes to her grandmother's for help with her powers. Logan sneaks into Jeremy's room, and steals the watch, before Jeremy returns home. Phoebe sits in her room, trying to put all the pieces together, about the Salvatore Brothers. In the midst of doing so, Elena enters Phoebe's room. Phoebe was sitting on the floor in front of her bed, hair falling out of its ponytail with a couple of pencils stuck in it, and papers strewn all around her. To an outsider, it looked like chaotic nonsense. To Phoebe, everything was organized.

Elena looked around, confused, "What's all this?"

Phoebe said nothing. She simply stood up, and closed her door behind Elena.

"Phoebe?" Elena questioned.

"I know what Stefan is," Phoebe answered.

"What are you talking about?" Elena asked, still confused.

"I'm talking about Stefan and his whole mysterious 'don't-ask-me-about-my-past' routine. I've figured out what he is," Phoebe explained.

"You mean _who_ ," Elena corrected.

"No, I mean _what_ ," said Phoebe.

Elena just stared at her sister, and waited for her to continue.

"Last night, I was supposed to have coffee with Stefan at the Grill to help him find a way back into your good graces, but he never showed up. At least, not until I was ready to leave, at which point we just agreed to walk together as we schemed. Now, this is the weird part. As we were leaving the Grill, we ran into an old man who seemed to recognize Stefan. Not only that, but he swore that Stefan hadn't aged a day since he last saw him," began Phoebe.

"So what? People say that all the time, Phoebe," argued Elena.

"True, but I saw that same man, again, today at the car wash. I asked him about it, and he said he recognizes Stefan from the Boarding House. He met Stefan when he first moved here back in 1953," Phoebe continued.

"That's impossible," dismissed Elena.

Phoebe rummaged through her piles of papers, and found what she was looking for. She had printed a screenshot of Stefan from the 1953 video footage. She handed the picture to her sister, and continued, "After talking to the old man, I went to the News Station to look it up. Apparently Stefan's Uncle Joseph was mauled by an animal, so there was a news guy reporting from the Boarding House. They caught Stefan on film."

Elena shrugged it off, "Lots of people bare strong resemblance to their grandparents."

"What about the guest registry from the original Founders' Ball?" asked Phoebe.

"Stefan and Damon both said they were their ancestors," answered Elena.

"I don't think so. The way Damon talked about them and what happened at the church...it was like he was actually there. Like he had lived it, not heard about it, or read about it," Phoebe argued.

"Phoebe, you sound like that every time you and Tanner discuss History," Elena pointed out.

"Fine, how about the fact that he never gets hurt?" Phoebe mused.

"If you're talking about the football game when I thought he cut his hand-."

"But he _did_ cut his hand, Elena, I saw it!" Phoebe interrupted.

"Apparently not, because when I checked there was nothing wrong with his hand," replied Elena.

"Elena, I am the most observant person in this town, how can you not believe me?"

"Phoebe, it was dark, and everything happened really fast," explained Elena.

"How about his aversion to blood? Skin penetrating bite marks all over Caroline? All the animal attacks? Bodies drained of blood? What about Vicki? She was attacked in the woods, at night, bitten on the neck, with nearly all of her blood drained. And when she woke up, she told Matt it was a vampire that attacked her," Phoebe pressed.

"So, what, you're saying Stefan's a vampire? Come on, Phoebe, you can't be serious," Elena scoffed.

"How can you deny what's right in front of you?" Phoebe asked.

"Because I can't believe in things like vampires! They don't exist!" Elena snapped.

"You believe Bonnie when she tells you about her witch stuff! Why can't you believe me when I tell you your boyfriend isn't human?" Phoebe questioned, a little hurt.

Elena had no answer.

Phoebe sat back on the floor, and began putting on her shoes.

"Where are you going?" Elena asked.

"To the Boarding House," Phoebe replied.

"You're not going to accuse Stefan of being a vampire, are you?"

"No," replied Phoebe. She got to her feet, and grabbed her jacket off her bed. As she headed for the door, she added simply, "I'm going to ask him. You're welcome to join me."

Elena knew there was no stopping her sister. There was also a small part of her that wanted to believe Phoebe, and knew the only way to know for sure would be to ask Stefan. Even if it wasn't true, it was better to go along to smooth things over with Stefan afterwards. She followed her sister downstairs, and rode with her to the Boarding House.

At the cemetery, Vicki and her friends are eaten by a very hungry Damon. Phoebe and Elena arrive at the Boarding House, and Phoebe practically flies out of the car and up to the front door. Before she can knock, Stefan opens the door in a hurry. He looked at them, surprised to see the twins there. Phoebe doesn't give Elena the chance to change the topic by asking Stefan what's wrong, thus giving him the opportunity to say he has to go and leave. Nor does she give Stefan to say this isn't a good time, there's something he has to take care of, and vanish.

Phoebe locks eyes with Stefan to both let him know she's serious, and to better observe whether he's lying or not, then asks him, "What are you?"


	6. Lost Girls

Chapter 6: Lost Girls

Phoebe locked eyes with Stefan and asked him, "What are you?"

Stefan stared at her in shock.

"Phoebe, come on, this is ridiculous," Elena began.

Phoebe ignored her and repeated her question, "What are you?"

Stefan's expression changed. He began to look less surprised and more disappointed. He took a breath and replied, "You know."

Something about the way he said that told Elena he was serious. Without actually saying, he'd still confirmed Phoebe's insane theory. Elena looked at him in disbelief, "It's not possible. It can't be."

Stefan looked at his girlfriend and moved closer to her. Elena beginning to freak out on the inside, grabbed her sister and backed away.

"Everything you know...and every belief that you have is about to changed," Stefan told them. "Are you ready for that?"

"What are you?" Elena asked.

Stefan hesitated, before confirming, "I'm a vampire."

Phoebe was speechless. Elena, maintaining her grip on Phoebe's arm, took off towards the car, with her sister in tow.

"No. Please," Stefan pleaded. Phoebe glanced back, but Elena didn't even slow down. It did no good, though. Stefan flitted over to the care, blocking their path.

Elena looked back at where Stefan had been a few seconds ago, and then back to Stefan.

"How did you do that?" Phoebe asked, amazed.

"Please, don't be afraid of me," Stefan begged, grabbing ahold of Elena's lower arms.

"Let us go," Elena pleaded, trying to get free.

"No. Elena, there are things that you have to know and understand," Stefan told her.

Phoebe wrapped her arms around her sister, comfortingly, and addressed Stefan, "Stefan? We're going. Let her go."

"I would never hurt her," said Stefan. "I would never hurt either of you. You're safe with me."

"All those animal attacks...those people who died," Elena began, accusingly.

Stefan shook his head, "That was Damon. I don't drink human blood.  
That's not how I choose to survive, but Damon does. I'll explain everything to you, but I beg you...both of you, do not tell anybody."

"How can you ask me that?" Elena questioned.

"Because you knowing this is dangerous for so many reasons," he replied. "You can hate me, but I need you to trust me."

Phoebe looked at her sister, then Stefan, "We won't tell anyone. But we _are_ leaving, now."

Stefan looked at her, wanting to push further for them to stay and hear him out. However, Phoebe didn't give him the chance to. Though she could see it in his eyes what he wanted, Elena was freaking out and her sister's sanity was more important than satisfying her own curiosity or Stefan's conscience.

"Stefan, if you want us to trust you, then you need to show us that you can be trusted," Phoebe told him. "Let me take her home. Give her time to digest what you've just told her."

Stefan reluctantly released his grip on Elena, stepped aside, and let them go. Once at home, and calmed down, Elena made a new entry in her diary: "Dear Diary, I'm not a believer. People are born, they grow old, and they die. That's the world we live in. But how can I deny what's right in front of me? Someone who never grows old, never gets hurt. Someone who changes in ways that can't be explained. Girls bitten. Bodies drained of blood. Phoebe was right. Stefan Salvatore is a vampire. And so is his brother, Damon."

Meanwhile Damon is at the cemetery trying to cover his tracks after killing Vicki's friends. He calls Stefan asking for his ring while he douses the bodies with alcohol to burn them. Stefan says he'll get his ring back but not right away. They hang up and when he goes to Vicki to douse her too, she wakes up.

Back at the Gilbert House, everyone is asleep, except Phoebe. Her mind is racing with questions. Questions that only the Salvatore brothers can answer. Phoebe flops about her bed, trying to sleep, but can't. She throws her covers off, and grabs her glasses from the nightstand. Leaving the lights off, she walks over to the window seat and looks down. She sees Stefan standing outside. Since she wasn't afraid to still talk to him, like Elena, she went down into the kitchen and made some tea to bring out to him. As Phoebe is doing this, Stefan thinks back to when he first met Katherine in 1864.

Upon exiting the front door, Stefan asked, "How come you aren't afraid of me?"

Phoebe handed him the tea and replied, calmly, "If you really meant us harm, you would've done so already. I mean, you are a vampire. We couldn't really stop you. Besides, you've been invited in, so I'm no safer inside than out here."

"What makes you think that's even a real thing?"

"The way you acted when Damon came over the night of Elena's little dinner party. You were almost adamant that he not come in. And when I invited him, you looked worried."

Stefan looked impressed.

"I'm observant," she smiled.

"So tell me, Miss Agatha Christie, what else have you observed?" he asked, smiling back.

"A fair amount, actually. That's why I'm out here. I want to know everything. About you, Damon, vampires, etc. Not just for my own personal curiosity, but because I could help you with Elena. She trusts me. And if I tell her that I trust you and you're still the great guy you've always been, then she'll listen."

"Why would you want to help me?"

"Because I like you. You make my sister happy. And I can tell you love her, even though you don't say it."

"You really are observant," he commented, looking at his tea. "Alright. I'll tell you everything you wanna know."

Phoebe smiled, "Good. Why don't you take the night to think, and I'll meet you at The Grill for breakfast?"

"That sounds good."

Phoebe nodded, and headed back in.

"Hey, Phoebe?" called Stefan. Phoebe stopped and looked back. "Thank you."

"What are friends for?" she replied with a smile.

The next morning Phoebe got up bright and early. She was so excited to hear what Stefan had to say, that she hadn't slept at all. As Phoebe was headed downstairs, she was caught by Jenna.

"Phoebe? Where are you off to so early?" Jenna asked, groggily.

Phoebe froze where she was on the mid-stair landing, "To the Grill. I'm going to stop there for breakfast, then head to the library."

"Mmm," Jenna groaned. "Be careful. And...have fun."

"I will," Phoebe promised. She quickly left the house, before Elena could catch her. She made it to the Grill, where she and Stefan sat outside.

"Thanks again for agreeing to this," said Phoebe, sitting down.

"Thank you for believing in me," replied Stefan.

"And for offering to help you with Elena?" she added, with a grin.

Stefan chuckled, "Yes. And for offering to help me with Elena. Speaking of Elena, what did you tell her?"

"That I was going to the library. Don't worry I do it all the time, so there's no reason for her to question it."

The waitress poured their coffee, and walked away.

"So," began Phoebe. "How do you and Damon walk in the sun? Or is that just a myth?"

"We have rings that protect us," he replied, showing her his ring.

"Crucifixes?"

"Decorative."

"Holy water?"

"Drinkable."

"Mirrors?"

"Myth."

"Right…so you said you don't kill to survive."

"Animal blood keeps me alive, but not as strong as Damon. He can be very powerful."

"Then why let him get involved with Caroline?"

"Forcing Damon _not_ to do something is much more dangerous, believe me."

"But he was using her as a walking food source."

"He was able to take away her memories of being bitten, using a form of mind compulsion. She never knew what was happening to her. If he wanted to kill her he would have."

"I suppose that's better than the feeding habits he had when he first got here."

"How do you know what his feeding habits were when he got here?"

"I saw the news. All those missing people, and such. Obviously I didn't know it at the time, but looking back it makes sense that it would've been Damon killing those people."

"It's almost scary how observant you are sometimes," joked Stefan,

Phoebe laughed, "Are there any other vampires here, besides you and Damon?"

"Not anymore."

"Not anymore?"

"There was a time when this town was very much aware of vampires. It didn't end well for anybody, and that's why it's important that you & Elena not tell anyone about us."

"I have no problem keeping your secret, but I don't know if the same can be said of Elena."

"She would if you told her it was for the best. She'd follow your lead."

"True."

"So give me the day. I will answer any questions you may have, and when it's over you'll be free to make your own decision about what you know. If you feel you should tell someone, then I won't stop you. If you agree it would be best to keep it a secret, I'd be eternally grateful."

Phoebe laughed lightly, "Yes, you would, because you'll be around for eternity."

Stefan smiled back.

Sheriff Elizabeth Forbes and Logan find the burnt bodies at the cemetery and know that a vampire was responsible. Logan informs her that he managed to take the Gilbert watch and now they have to take it to the Mayor.

Damon is trapped at the Salvatore Boarding House since he can't get out to the sunlight and he is getting impatient waiting for Stefan to bring him his ring. He's brought Vicki to the house, who's lying in the couch. He decides to feed her his blood even though he says that he'll regret it.

Stefan takes Phoebe into the woods where his house had been and he continues telling her about his past.

"What are we doing here?" asked Phoebe.

"I wanna show you something," replied Stefan.

"In the middle of nowhere?"

"This didn't used to be nowhere. It used to be my home."

Phoebe looked around, "It looks so…"

"Old? Because they are."

"Wait, how long have you…"

"I've been 17 years old since 1864."

"Oh…wow…"

"You said you wanted to know everything. I'm not gonna hold anything back."

Phoebe nodded, and gestured for him to continue.

"A half-century before the boarding house was built; this was my family's home. Damon & I were both born here. The Salvatore brothers were the best of friends."

Stefan tells Phoebe about the time Damon taught him how to play football. Katherine interrupts and flirts with Stefan. She takes the ball and runs, making the two brothers chase her.

"You knew Katherine in 1864?" asked Phoebe. "Damon made it seem like-"

"Damon was trying to make you think that I was still heartbroken. He saw that I was happy with your sister and he wanted to ruin it."

"Just because you both loved the same girl 145 years ago?"

"She wasn't just any girl."

Stefan tells Phoebe of the time Katherine said that she needed a date for the Founder's Ball and both brothers offered to escort her.

"She chose me," said Stefan. "I escorted her to the ball. At the original Lockwood Mansion."

"The first Founder's Party," said Phoebe. "Where you both signed the registry."

Stefan nodded.

"I don't understand. If you were so close, then why would you do that to him? That had to hurt him."

"I didn't care that I was getting something my brother wanted. I didn't care that it had hurt him. I only knew that I wanted her."

"So you hurt him."

"That's the thing about Damon. He doesn't get mad. He just gets even."

Back at the Salvatore House, Vicki feels much better after drinking Damon's blood. The two of them have fun partying around the house dancing and drinking.

"What Damon wants he usually gets," said Stefan. "I didn't know it at the time, but it turns out that night Katherine was with him, too."

"So, he stole her from you? Not the other way around?"

"Turns out, she wasn't ours to steal."

Back in 1864, Katherine and Stefan are together in bed. Katherine reveals that she is a vampire and bites Stefan. The next morning, Stefan is horrified but she compels him not to say anything. She tells Stefan that she, him, and Damon will be together forever.

"She could control my mind," said Stefan. "And Damon's. She compelled each of us to keep it secret from the other. She wanted all of us to be together. Forever. It didn't work out that way, but Damon & I…it looks like we're stuck with each other. Like it or not."

"He could change. I mean, like it or not, good or bad, sooner or later, people change."

"Not Damon."

"That's only because he hasn't found his reason for it, yet. Everyone has their own reason for changing. Love, self-preservation, friends, family, necessity, choice, etc. Damon will find his reason, one day, and he _will_ change. Before you, or I, or Damon, or anyone else realizes it."

"I used to think that way, too. But he's done so many terrible things; I've just given up, Phoebe."

"No you haven't. You want to, but you haven't. And I don't think you ever will, because he's your brother. You love him, whether you care to admit it or not."

At the Lockwood Mansion, the Mayor gets the watch and fits it into one of the other antiques. He says that it's ready and it hands it back to Logan.

At the Salvatore House, Vicki and Damon continue to have fun. They move the party into Stefan's room, where Damon finds a picture of Katherine. He appears upset, and then he and Vicki talk about her sad life, and how Matt is going to make something of himself. Then, at an unexpected moment, Damon snaps Vicki's neck. A while later, Vicki wakes up in transition, unaware what's happened to her. Damon tells her that she is dead now she has to feed on a human to complete the transition. Vicki doesn't believe a thing of what he tells her, and she leaves to go to Jeremy.

In the woods, Logan and the Sheriff gear up to go hunt vampires, by way of the vampire-tracking Gilbert compass. Meanwhile, Vicki arrives at the Gilbert House. By the time she gets there, her eyes are bothered by the sun and she is hungry. Jeremy thinks she is high because of her strange behavior. Elena hears them downstairs, and goes down to check it out. She also believes that Vicki is high, and thus calls Matt.

As Stefan and Phoebe are about to leave the old Salvatore property, Phoebe had another question that she needed to ask, "That mind control thing that you said Katharine used...do you ever do that to my sister?"

"No," replied Stefan. "That necklace I gave her contains an herb called Vervain. It protects her from being compelled. I wanted to protect her from Damon's influence."

Phoebe nodded in acknowledgement.

"When I saw you and Damon getting close, I wanted to give you one as well, but it isn't exactly appropriate for me to give my girlfriend's sister jewelry," he added.

Phoebe chuckled, "True."

Stefan pulled out a small vial of Vervain from his pocket, and handed it to Phoebe, "Here. You should put this in a locket or something; so you know that no matter what, you're free to make your own decisions."

Phoebe looked at the vial, and hesitated.

"Phoebe?"

"Why do I need it?" she asked.

Stefan looked confused. Had she not heard what he just said?

"I mean, you've never tried to mind control me, and neither has Damon. You also said there are no other vampires here, besides you and Damon. So why do I need the Vervain?" she elaborated.

"Well, for one thing, you never know when you're gonna meet a vampire, especially a bad one," he began.

"True," mumbled Phoebe.

"And for another, just because Damon hasn't compelled you yet doesn't mean he won't. There may come a time when he gets bored with being nice, and decides to compel you to do what he wants you to do," he finished.

Phoebe took the vial, "I'll wear it because you make a good point, about not knowing when you'll meet a bad vampire. But I still don't think Damon will ever try to compel me."

Stefan didn't argue, as he opened her door for her.

Matt arrives at the Gilbert House, but he can't do much to help Vicki, as she has grown extremely agitated. Not long after Matt's arrival, Stefan and Phoebe return.

"What's going on?" Phoebe asked, taking in the scenery. Stefan did the same, and knew immediately what was wrong with Vicki.

"She's really messed up," Matt answered.

Elena took notice of Stefan's presence and shot her sister a look.

Stefan moved closer to Vicki and told her, "Vicki, look at me. Focus."

Vicki complied, as everyone else watched.

"You're gonna be fine. Everything's gonna be fine," Stefan told her, looking her in the eye. He broke away and addressed Matt and Jeremy, "Guys, take her up to bed. Shut the blinds."

Matt and Jeremy did as he said and took Vicki up to Jeremy's room. Elena gave Phoebe the look that told her she wanted to talk to Stefan alone, so Phoebe followed the boys upstairs. After getting Vicki situated, Vicki asked Jeremy to stay with her. Matt and Phoebe looked at them from out in the hall, and then walked over to her room.

"Ya know, they actually make a cute couple," Matt noted.

Phoebe smiled, "They do. Too bad there's not a third Donovan for me."

"Well, there is my mom, but I don't think you want her," Matt joked.

Phoebe flopped onto her bed and laughed, "Something tells me I'm not her type."

"Yeah, she does think you're a little weird," Matt admitted.

"So does Vicki," said Phoebe. "You know, I think they were both secretly very happy that you dated Elena instead of me."

"That's just 'cause they don't know you like I do," said Matt, lying down next to her on the bed. He turned his neck to face her and added, "If they did...they'd love you like I do."

Phoebe turned to face him, slowly. Their faces were just inches apart. For any normal girl, this would have been a magical moment. Declarations of love, and all that cheesiness. But this wasn't a magical moment. Before it could even be identified as possibly being one, Vicki came running out of Jeremy's room, and down the stairs. This caused Matt and Phoebe to both fly out of the room to find out what was going on. Vicki's run away. Stefan says he can track her and leaves to find her, as does Matt.

In the woods, Logan Fell and the Sheriff continue to use the compass to track a vampire. Back at the Gilbert House, the Gilbert children clean up Vicki's mess in the kitchen.

"Maybe we should check in with Matt," Jeremy suggested.

"He'll call when he finds her," replied Elena.

"Well, what are we supposed to do?" Jeremy asked, growing annoyed.

"We wait. We're supposed to wait," Elena told him.

"I don't even know what's wrong with her," said Jeremy.

"She'll be fine," Phoebe told him, in a comforting tone.

"Yeah. It'll all be fine," Elena mumbled, unconvincingly.

Phoebe gave her brother the same look Elena gave her earlier, and he headed upstairs. When she heard his door close, she addressed her sister, "Look, I get that you're mad at me-."

"I don't wanna talk about it right now," Elena told her, cutting her off. "I can only handle one problem at a time."

"If you'd just give him a chance to explain," Phoebe began, again.

Elena cut her off, again, "Phoebe, he's a vampire! He is the world's _most dangerous_ predator!"

"Debatable," Phoebe mumbled.

Elena exhaled sharply, "What about Damon? Are you still going to be his friend, after Stefan told us what he did? After he's killed all those people?"

Phoebe avoided the question, "Look, I understand that you're just worried about me, because you love me. I love you, too. But if you'd just listen to what Stefan has to say, then you would know that you don't have to worry."

Elena shook her head, "I can't do this right now."

Phoebe watched her sister walk out of the kitchen and up to her room. As Elena's door closed, there was a knock on the door. Phoebe answers the door and finds Damon.

Phoebe was frozen in place. She didn't know what to do. Everything Stefan had told her, as well as her self-preservation, told her to be afraid of him. Her logic told her there was no point in being scared, because he was a vampire. What could she do to him? He could kill her in the time it took her to blink. This thought alerted her to a feeling she'd had sense meeting Damon. Though Damon could be rude, cruel, scary, vindictive, and all around bad; Phoebe knew he would never hurt her. She couldn't exactly explain it, since it was mostly a gut feeling; but she still felt sure of this, nonetheless.

Somewhere in all of this, Phoebe's heart rate must have increased, because Damon noted, "You're afraid of me. I'm gonna go out on a limb here, and guess Stefan finally fessed up."

"My increased heart rate isn't due to fear. It's because there's a lot going on right now," said Phoebe, matter-of-factly. She tried to close the door as she added, "So I'm sure you can understand why this isn't the best time for guests."

"Hey, hey, hey, there's no need to be rude. I'm just looking for Stefan," said Damon, pushing the door back open with ease. "Can I come in? Oh wait, of course I can. I've been invited."

Phoebe watched him, cautiously, as he entered the house.

"We can cut to the chase, if you want," he offered. He looked at her somewhat seriously, "I'm not gonna kill you, right now. That wouldn't serve my greater agenda."

Phoebe mocked him with a sarcastic face that said 'Oh, how kind of you.'

That made Damon become completely serious, "Where's Stefan?"

"He's helping Matt look for Vicki," she replied, calmly.

"Don't look at me with those judgey little eyes. That girl's gonna thank me for what I did to her," he said, uncaringly.

Phoebe put on her best poker face, and stared up at him, "Did you thank Katherine?"

Damon was slightly taken aback. He wasn't expecting that. He broke away from her gaze, "Got the whole life story, huh?"

"I got enough."

"Oh, I doubt that. Tell Stefan I'm looking for him," he said, before leaving.

Once he was gone, Phoebe charged upstairs to tell Elena everything she'd learned that day, whether she wanted to hear it or not.

Meanwhile, Stefan finds Vicki crying in the woods. She starts remembering things, and now knows what is happening to her. Stefan promises that he can help her, but Logan arrives and shoots him with wooden bullets. Logan is about to stake Stefan, but Damon gets there and bites Logan. He then takes the bullets out of Stefan. He notices that they're wooden, which means that people know about them. He takes his ring back and Vicki feeds on Logan's bite wound, completing the transition. She apologizes to Stefan and runs away into the darkness.

Stefan returns to Elena, explains what happened and he apologizes that he couldn't help Vicki. He vows to teach her not to drink on humans, but rather on animals. Elena promises that she won't tell anyone about him being a vampire, but she breaks up with him.


	7. Haunted

Chapter 7: Haunted

In the parking lot at the school, Vicki attacks Tyler, but Damon and Stefan stop her. Damon compels Tyler to forget it all, and they take Vicki back to the Boarding House.

The next morning at the Gilbert House, Phoebe and Jeremy were up early. Though this was normal for Phoebe, it was not for Jeremy. After Elena woke up, she went to the bathroom to brush her teeth. When she opened the door, she found both of her siblings already in there doing just that.

"You're up early," Elena commented to Jeremy, as she reached for her toothbrush.

"Yeah, I'm going to the Police Station, they're organizing a search for Vicki, so…," replied Jeremy.

"Wait, shouldn't you been going to school?" Elena asked. Both of her siblings gave her a funny look.

"You're kidding me, right?" Jeremy asked her.

"You shouldn't skip school. If they find her, we'll know, that's what cell phones are for," Elena told him.

"Yeah, your lips keep moving and I don't know why," replied Jeremy, walking away.

Phoebe rinsed her mouth, and then asked her sister, "Why are you so intent on him not looking for her?"

"You know why," Elena replied, putting down the toothpaste and beginning to brush her teeth.

"Elena, she had the chance to hurt him when she was here, and she didn't. That tells me she cares enough about him to have the control to at least run away, instead of biting him," said Phoebe.

Elena spit in the sink, "Just because she was able to run away before, doesn't mean she'll be able to do it again. Do you really want to risk that?"

"No," Phoebe admitted. "But it's not him I'd worry about. I mean, Matt and Jeremy have no idea where _she_ is."

"But she knows where they are," said Elena, finishing her thought. "We need to talk to Vicki. Explain why she can't see either of them for a while."

Phoebe nodded in agreement.

"We should go this morning, before she gets the chance to run away, again," said Elena.

"I can drop you off before school, but I have to go see Matt. He'll wanna know what's going on, if I don't show up," Phoebe replied.

"You're right," Elena agreed. "Okay, let's get dressed, and then you can drop me off at the Salvatore House."

Phoebe nodded, as she turned to exit the bathroom.

Over at the Salvatore House, Stefan allows Vicki to call Matt and tell him that she's alright, so he doesn't worry. After which, he tries to get Vicki to drink animal blood, but Damon convinces her that she needs human blood instead. Phoebe and Elena arrive at the Salvatore House to check on Vicki. Their knock on the door is answered by Damon. Phoebe is unphased by this, but Elena grabs her sister's arm, nervously.

Damon wore his usual devilish grin.

"Is Stefan here?" asked Phoebe, nonchalantly.

"Yep," replied Damon, casually.

"Where is he?" asked Phoebe, continuing their tone.

"And good morning to you, little Miss 'I'm on a mission'," he retorted, in kind.

That made Phoebe want to smile, but she couldn't let herself do that. That's what he wanted. To get away with hurting people and not have Phoebe upset with him. She could see it in his body language. Her only option was to appear to be upset with him, which in her defense she was a little. She narrowed her eyes, and asked, "How can you be so arrogant and glib after what you've done?"

Elena's grip tightened on her sister's arm.

Surprisingly, Damon wasn't bothered by her being upset. He actually seemed to welcome banter with her, "And how can you be so brave and stupid to call a vampire arrogant and glib?"

Phoebe found herself equally intrigued by their banter, "If you wanted me dead, I'd be dead."

"Yes, you would," confirmed Damon.

"But I'm not," pressed Phoebe.

"Yet," replied Damon, trying to sound annoyed.

Elena nudged Phoebe hard in the ribs.

As much as she wanted to continue their threatening banter, Phoebe recognized it was time to quit. They had come here for a reason. Besides, with Elena present and Stefan in earshot range, Damon had limits to his tolerance of Phoebe's bravery. She may know it was all for show, but he couldn't have other people knowing that.

"Where's Stefan?" Phoebe repeated.

"He's upstairs," answered Damon. "Singing 'The Rain in Spain'. Knock yourself out."

Elena rushed inside, once Damon had stepped out. Phoebe and Damon maintained eye contact, as they passed each other. The two also smiled to themselves, once the door was closed.

"Have you lost your mind?" Elena asked her sister. "You don't to psychopathic vampires like that."

Phoebe sighed, rolling her eyes with a smile still on her face, "I'm gonna gonna go to school, now. I'll see you later."

Stefan hears them and comes downstairs, as Phoebe is leaving. He promises Elena that he will get through to Vicki.

Bonnie talks to her Grams about witchcraft before she leaves for school. Damon overhears Richard and Carol discussing the vampire in town, at the Grill. Over at the high school, Caroline gives Bonnie Damon's crystal and tells her she doesn't care what she does with it, as long as it's gone.

Back at the Salvatore House, Stefan gets Vicki drinking coffee and leaves briefly. Vicki tries to call Jeremy, but Elena refuses to let her, so Vicki pushes her against the wall and threatens to kill her unless she lets her see Jeremy. Stefan assures Elena that Vicki will calm down eventually.

Later that night, Damon tells Vicki that he only turned her because he was bored. Damon and Stefan take Vicki outside and Damon teaches her how to use her super speed. Vicki uses it to escape. She goes home where Matt's happy to see her. Stefan shows up, looking for Vicki, but she doesn't want to see him so Matt sends him away.

Over at the Gilbert House, the twins return home and overhear Jeremy in the kitchen, leaving Vicki a voicemail. They both join in him the kitchen, but he doesn't notice them.

"Hey," said Phoebe, letting him know they were there. "So, um, I'm gonna go to the Halloween Party at the school, with Matt. Do you guys wanna come?"

Elena made a face and nodded.

"Sure. Sounds, uh…sounds fun. Can't wait," Jeremy answered.

"Awesome. I'm gonna go get ready," said Phoebe, heading upstairs. After she left, Elena talked to Jeremy about Vicki. Jeremy later gets a text from Vicki, and they plan to meet up at the Halloween party.

At the Grill, Damon flirts with Carol to get information. He tries to compel her, but she's wearing vervain. She tells him about the Founder's Council and he offers to get vervain for her when he explains that Zach is out of town. She tells him that anybody who showed up during the day to the Founder's Party and Heritage Display was eliminated as a suspect of being a vampire.

The Gilbert siblings all arrive at the party, but only the twins are in costume. Elena is wearing last year's nurse costume, and Phoebe is dressed as a female Jack Skellington. Matt mentions to the twins that Vicki's with him, and then the twins become frantic to find Jeremy. Stefan finds Vicki and confronts her. Elena and Matt find them and Vicki tells Matt that Stefan won't leave her alone. Vicki escapes, and Stefan tells Matt that he's just trying to help Vicki. Vicki finds Jeremy and they kiss. Elsewhere, Damon discovers Bonnie has his crystal, but when he tries to take it from her, it burns him.

Vicki takes Jeremy outside by the school buses to make out. She gets to rough and bites his lip. The blood makes her begin to lose control, but thankfully Elena finds them in time to save her brother. She attacks Vicki with a 2x4, but Vicki simply tosses her aside like a ragdoll. Elena lands hard on a pile of wooden beams and supports, hurting her ribs.

Stefan soon arrives, closely followed by Phoebe. Stefan grabs Vicki, while Phoebe tends to her sister. As she helps her to her feet, Vicki gets free of Stefan's grip, and vanishes.

"Go. Get inside," Stefan tells them.

The Gilbert children stuck together, as they ran for the door. Elena and Jeremy made it inside, but Phoebe was seized by Vicki before she could join her siblings. Vicki bit into her shoulder, and Phoebe let out a scream. Stefan reacted in the only way he saw fit. He picked up a broken piece of wood and thrust it into Vicki's heart. Vicki's skin began to desiccate before their eyes, as she fell to the ground. She was dead.

"Get them out of here," Phoebe commanded to Stefan. "Take them home."

"What about you?" Stefan asked her.

"I'll make sure no one finds her, while I wait for Damon," she answered.

Stefan did as she asked, and took her siblings home. He then called Damon to go get Vicki's body.

Bonnie goes to her Grams, who tells her that the crystal belonged to her ancestor and a very powerful witch, Emily Bennett. Grams tells Bonnie that it is now hers and she has to protect it.

Back at the school Damon arrives, and nonchalantly tells Phoebe to go.

Phoebe loses her temper, and lashes out at him, "You did this. This is all your fault."

Damon looked at her confused, "You mistake me for someone with remorse."

Phoebe tried to shove him, but it had no effect.

Damon gave her a look.

She tried to slap him next, but he caught her hand before it made contact. Phoebe struggled to get free of his grip, but it was no use.

"None of this matters to me," he said.

"It does matter, and you know it!" she replied, still trying to free herself.

Damon finally releases her, and she stumbles. As she falls to the ground, her glasses fly off of her face. Phoebe tries to feel around for them, but can't find them. She gives up and begins to cry. Damon looked down at her, and began to feel bad. He didn't he feel sorry for her, he felt angry with himself for making her cry. It was never his intention to hurt her.

Damon knelt down next to her, and tried to help her sit up. Phoebe knocked his hand away the best she could, without her glasses. She continued to do this until she sat up, then she began fighting the big blur in her vision. Damon let her beat on his chest, like they do in drama films, because it was his fault she was upset. Phoebe stopped beating his chest when the mental dam, which was holding back the tears, gave out. Damon held her there, as she cried into his chest, rather than beat on it.

He gave her a moment or so, then pulled her away, "Are you good enough to drive home? 'Cause I've got a body to take care of, so I can't sit here holding you all night."

Phoebe sniffled and nodded.

"Are you sure? It's not safe to drive when you're upset, you know?" he pressed.

"Can you get my glasses, please?" she asked.

Damon picked up Phoebe's glasses, cleaned them off, and then placed them on her face. Now that she could see, she saw a look in Damon's eyes that she'd never seen before. He looked almost sorry.

Damon gestured to her bite wound, "You should go home, and get that taken care of."

Phoebe nodded in response. Damon helped her to her feet, and sent her on her way.

Unfortunately for Phoebe, Matt spotted her on the way to her car, "Phoebe! Hey, have you seen-."

Matt had noticed her shoulder and grew concerned, "Whoa. Wh-what happened? Are you okay?"

"It's nothing," she lied. "Just some idiot running around spraying fake blood. I'm gonna go home and take a shower."

"I can't find Vicki," Matt interrupted. "She totally bailed on me."

Phoebe had to do everything she could _not_ to cry. She didn't say anything, because Matt would know if she were lying.

"Is this what I'm in for? A lifetime of worrying about her?" Matt asked.

Phoebe moved closer to hug her friend, but stopped herself. If she did that, she would break down, again. Instead, she told him, "You're a good brother, Matt."

"Yeah. Maybe she went home," he replied.

Phoebe forced a smile.

"Well, I'll let you go home and get cleaned up. See ya, later," said Matt. He walked away, and Phoebe got in her car.

As she got situated to drive home, a thought hit her. She'd never be able to lie to Matt. She only had two options: either tell him to truth, or stop being friends with him. Phoebe couldn't do either of those things, so she'd have to come up with an option three.

At the Gilbert House, Elena comforts Jeremy the best she can. He keeps telling her that it hurts, and begs her to make it stop. When Phoebe arrives home, Stefan is on the porch, alone.

"You okay?" she asked him. "I, uh…I wanted to help her," he answered. "But instead, uh…"

Phoebe took a deep breathe, "How's Jeremy?"

"He's a mess," answered Elena, appearing in the doorway. "I don't want him going through this again. He's just a kid."

"I feel the same way, Elena, but what can we do?" Phoebe asked her.

Elena made a face that indicated a light bulb had just come on for her, "Can you make him forget?"

Stefan shook his head, "If I did, there's no guarantee it would work, because of how I live."

"You can't be serious," Phoebe said to her sister.

"Phoebe, you haven't seen him, yet. He's a mess. I don't know how he'll ever get past this," Elena replied.

"Elena, I don't have the ability to do it right," said Stefan.

"I can do it," said Damon, making his presence known. The trio turned to look at Damon. He looked at Phoebe, as he added, "If this is what you want."

Phoebe looked over at her sister and they seemed to communicate telepathically. Elena begged Phoebe with her eyes and her sister caved. Phoebe nodded to Damon to let him know that she was on board.

"Tell him that Vicki left town and she's not coming back. That he shouldn't look for her or worry about her. He's gonna miss her, but he knows it's for the best," Elena told him.

Phoebe followed Damon upstairs and watched from the hallway, as he compelled Jeremy. As she stood there, she figured out her option three. It was the perfect solution. Phoebe wondered how she hadn't thought of it before.

Damon finished with Jeremy and joined Phoebe out in the hall, closing the door behind him, "It's done."

"Thank you," said Phoebe.

Damon noticed that she still hadn't taken care of her shoulder yet, "I thought you were gonna get that cleaned up."

Phoebe looked at her shoulder, "I just got home. I haven't had time."

"Where's your first aid stuff?" he asked.

"Bathroom. Third drawer," she answered.

"Go sit down. I'll be right there," he told her.

Phoebe walked to her room and sat on her window seat. A few moments later, Damon joined her. He cleaned the bite, and bandaged it for her. Phoebe watched him, as he did.

Once he was through, she asked him, "Can I ask you for a favor?"

"You just did," he joked, trying to get her to smile. One corner of her mouth twitched, but that was about it. Damon sat down next to her, "What is it?"

"It's Matt. I ran into him on the way to my car, and he asked me about Vicki…Damon, I can't lie to him. And it's not just a matter of not wanting to, he knows me too well," Phoebe answered.

"What do you need from me? You need me to compel him, too?" he asked.

Phoebe looked him in the eye and answered, "No. I want you to compel me."

Damon furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

"The only thing I want you to change is Vicki being dead. Make me believe that she's alive out there, somewhere. I mean, she's still a vampire, there was a confrontation, she attacked us, you and I fought, and we still had you compel Jeremy. Just make me believe that when she attacked me, Stefan pulled her off of me, and she ran away. She's just afraid to come back, because she doesn't want to hurt Matt or Jeremy," Phoebe explained.

Damon looked at her like he wanted to say 'no', but he didn't, "As you wish."

As he began focusing on her eyes, she looked away, "I'm trusting you, Damon. Don't make me regret it."

"I won't," he promised.

Phoebe looked him in the eye and he compelled her, as requested. After which, he went downstairs and told Elena he had successfully compelled Jeremy, and he told her about Phoebe's request.


	8. 162 Candles

Chapter 8: 162 Candles

While reading a book, Stefan gets the sensation that someone is near him. Rising, he looks around to see who's there. Still not seeing anyone, he turns around again to find his oldest and dearest friend Lexi Branson, a 350 year old Vampire. Being as today is Stefan's 162nd birthday; she's come to help him celebrate, like she does every year.

The following morning, Sheriff Forbes questions everyone about the disappearance of Vicki Donovan, but everyone has the same story to tell: Vicki left town and they have no idea when she is coming back. This seems to appease the Sheriff, for now. Elena bumps into Stefan outside the station. Feeling completely stressed out about the whole situation, Elena tells Stefan that she can no longer see him and that he needs to stay away from her.

While upstairs resting, Lexi gets an unexpected visit from Damon. Tired of his attitude, Lexi grabs Damon by the throat and demands that he _not_ ruin her visit with Stefan. Agreeing, but not completely happy about the confrontation, Damon decides to leave.

Bonnie decides to pack up at her grandmother's and go home, knowing that her father doesn't like her to be gone for long. Bonnie tries to give her grandmother the necklace, but she says that it belongs to Bonnie. It is a talisman that has been passed down from generation to generation and it has found its way back to Bonnie. Bonnie decides her grandmother is right and leaves the necklace on.

At home, Aunt Jenna and Elena are sitting on the couch, pouting over their break-ups.

"Wanna keep it down over there," Jeremy asked, from the kitchen table.

"Why? What are you doing?" Jenna asked.

"Homework," Jeremy answered, simply.

Jenna and Elena shared looks of confusion, and then sat up to look at Jeremy over the back of the couch.

"Since when do you do homework?" Elena asked her brother.

"I gotta finish this. I'm way behind, and I have a quiz tomorrow, so…"

Elena leaned closer to Jenna, while still staring at Jeremy, "What do you think? Alien?"

"Some sort of replicant," countered Jenna.

Jeremy made a face, and then looked at them, "He can hear you."

Elena grew concerned as she watched her brother work. She wanted to be impressed and proud, but instead wondered what Damon had done to him.

Damon stops by the sheriff's department to drop off a box of vervain. He's still trying to find out who's in the council that is hunting Vampires. Still no luck, but he does seem to be gaining the sheriff's trust a little more each time. She believes that his Uncle Zachary is out of town and that Damon himself is stepping in to help with the vervain supply.

Elena is in bed, wallowing over her break up with Stefan. Bonnie pays an early visit to Elena in her room. She apologizes to Elena for being an absentee friend these past few days. Feeling that she can trust Elena, Bonnie swears her to secrecy and shows some of the things her grandmother taught her. She rips open her feather pillow to Elena's surprise and proceeds to make the feathers fly up into the air. Elena is shocked but happy that Bonnie shared this with her.

Outside, Damon stops Caroline and, using his powers of persuasion, gets her to throw a party at the Mystic Grill that night. He also demands that she find a way to get the necklace back from Bonnie.

Over at the Donovan house, Phoebe and Matt hang out, playing games like they used to. After a while, they take a break, and Matt cooks some lunch.

"I like this," he said. "We haven't just hung out around the house in a while. I miss it."

"Me too," Phoebe beamed. She saw a photo of Vicki on the fridge. "Has Vicki called yet?

"No, not yet," Matt sighed. "I'm hopin' she'll call soon, though. I'm really worried."

"Once she gets herself under control, I'm sure she'll call. She's probably just too scared to come back," said Phoebe.

"But why, though? It's not like I haven't seen her messed up before," Matt argued.

"Not like this, you haven't," Phoebe mumbled. Unfortunately, Matt heard her, so she was forced to elaborate. "The high she's on now makes you super strong. Combine that with being irrational and irritable, and you've got a nasty combination. If someone were to just look at her the wrong way, she'd probably tear their head off."

"You mean like PCP?" he asked.

"Something like that," she confirmed. "She just doesn't want to accidentally hurt you, Matt."

"Why does it sound like you know more than I do?" he questioned, suspiciously.

"Stefan went through the same thing, a long time ago. That's why he was following her around, he wanted to help. He wanted to make sure she didn't hurt anyone. But Vicki didn't want help, so she made you think Stefan was harassing her.," Phoebe explained. She technically wasn't lying. "She'll get better, eventually, and come home."

"Yeah, but when's that gonna be?"

"Stefan says it varies with different people. Because of her addiction issues, that could be a while," Phoebe answered. "But she knows you're worried, Matt. She'll at least call. Soon."

"I hope so," he sighed.

As the two ate lunch, Matt received a text from Tyler. Apparently Caroline was throwing a party at the Grill, later. They decide to drop by for a little bit, so they can shoot some pool.

Elena stops by Stefan's and gets an eyeful when Lexi answers the door in a towel. Lexi is stunned and almost speechless when she sees Elena. She notices that Elena is almost the exact image of Katherine. Elena however doesn't know what to say to Lexi. She assumes that Stefan must have moved on from her and went straight to a relationship with Lexi. Elena turns around and leaves.

Lexi confronts Stefan about the resemblance between Elena and Katherine. He tells her that appearance is the only thing Elena and Katherine share. Lexi says that's good because Katherine was a bitch. Stefan informs her that Elena is a warm and generous person and that he loves her. This seems to make Lexi happy. She also convinces him to go to the Mystic Grill party with her.

Knowing that Elena misunderstood the relationship he has with Lexi, Stefan heads over to her house to explain. She seems to believe him, but still declines his invitation to join him at the party.

At the Mystic Grill, Phoebe and Matt arrived early to claim a pool table, before the crowd. When nightfall came, Stefan's friend, Lexi, arrived. She saw Phoebe with Matt and thought it was Elena.

"Elena? I thought you were at home. Stefan's on his way there now to talk to you," said Lexi.

"I'm not Elena, I'm Phoebe," corrected Phoebe.

"Oh, right! Sorry, Stefan said you were twins, but I still didn't expect you two to look this much alike. He said you were Paternal Twins," Lexi apologized.

"It's okay, I'm used to it," Phoebe replied, with a smile. "Most people think Paternal Twins means we'll look drastically different, but we're still twins."

"It takes getting used to," added Matt. "The biggest difference is Phoebe's glasses. She's as blind as a bat without them."

"And Elena has perfect vision," added Phoebe.

"Got it. Phoebe wears glasses, but Elena doesn't. Thanks," said Lexi. She extended a hand out to Phoebe, "I'm Lexi. I'm an old friend of Stefan's."

Phoebe shook her hand, "Nice to meet you."

Lexi looked at Matt, "Do you mind if I steal your girlfriend for a little bit?"

Matt and Phoebe both began awkwardly trying to explain that they were just friends, at the same time.

Lexi looked back and forth between the two of them, amused, "I'll take that as a no, you don't mind."

Matt smiled, and shook his head.

Lexi grabbed Phoebe, and drug her to the bar. Phoebe spoke first, "You're one, too, aren't you?"

Lexi cocked her head to the side, "How'd you know?"

"Just a guess. Mostly because you said you were an old friend of Stefan's," replied Phoebe.

"So because Stefan's a vampire, I must be one by association?" questioned Lexi.

"No, I meant that Stefan isn't the type to make friends with humans, because he's going to outlive them," explained Phoebe.

"Well, you're his friend, aren't you?"

"Yeah, but only because he wanted to be with my sister. Otherwise he wouldn't have even gone to school, and I likely wouldn't have even met him," replied Phoebe.

"Wow, you really are smart," said Lexi. "When Stefan told me how you figured out he and Damon were vampires, I didn't believe him. But now..."

"Good evening, ladies," said Damon, making his presence known.

Lexi rolled her eyes, "What do you want?"

"I just realized that Phoebe, here, still owes me a dance," he replied.

"I believe that's the other way around," corrected Phoebe. "You were the one who asked me for a dance, then disappeared."

"I didn't disappear, Stefan drugged me, and locked me up in our basement," argued Damon.

"That's because you needed a time-out. If you played well with others, that wouldn't have happened," said Phoebe, with a grin.

Lexi beamed with amusement at the way Damon let Phoebe talked to him.

Phoebe hopped off the bar stool, and added, "When that happens, then you can have that dance."

Damon smiled to himself, as Phoebe and Lexi left him alone to rejoin Matt at the pool table.

Caroline spots Bonnie and asks her about the necklace. Bonnie refuses to give it back. When Caroline reaches out to grab the necklace, she gets a shock from the necklace. Bonnie senses that it isn't actually Caroline who wants the necklace but Damon. She tells Caroline to have Damon ask for it back himself.

After finding out that Caroline could not get the necklace back, Damon steps out back of the Mystic Grill for some fresh air. Once out there, he over hears a couple heading off to a more private location to make-out. Surprising them, the couple is shocked when Damon appears behind them. He grabs the man's neck and drains him of his blood. The girl begins to cry. Once he is finished, he erases her memory and plants a new one about the attack.

A drunken Caroline stumbles over to Phoebe and Matt's table. She sits down next to Matt, so Phoebe volunteers to go get her some coffee. After ordering the coffee, Phoebe spots her sister spying on Stefan with Lexi.

"They're just friends, you know," Phoebe told her.

"I know. Stefan came by earlier and told me," replied Elena. She turned to face her sibling, "Change of topic, what did Damon do to Jeremy?"

"Yeah, I'm gonna need a less vague question," said Phoebe.

"When he compelled Jeremy, what else did he do?" Elena clarified.

"He just told him what you wanted him to tell him."

"But he's acting different. You have to have noticed," Elena argued.

"Elena, he took away his suffering. Without that, there's no need for him to escape the world by getting high or drunk. And without the getting high or drunk, he's able to live again. That's what happens when you take away someone's suffering. They thrive," Phoebe explained, before walking away.

When Phoebe returns with the coffee, it's obvious Caroline is too far gone for coffee to be of any help. She needs to go home. Lexi sees Elena and decides to clue her into what she is to Stefan. Once informed, Elena is visibly relieved. Lexi also helps her understand Stefan a bit more. She helps Elena see Stefan in a different light. Elena decides that she wants to be with Stefan, regardless if he is a Vampire.

Sheriff Forbes is informed by another officer that a new victim of the Vampire has been discovered. Once she is on the scene, she notices that the girl is still alive and crying in the dark. She goes over to her and asks if she knows who did this. The girl says she does and stands up to help them find the Vampire.

As Matt and Phoebe carry Caroline out to his truck, they pass by Sheriff Forbes. Caroline informs her mother that she's "drunk as a skunk". They get her out to Matt's truck, and get her buckled in. After which, Phoebe notices something is up with Sheriff Forbes. She becomes curious, and wants to know what's going on; so she tells Matt to get Caroline home, and that she'll ride home with Elena. She wants to talk to Lexi some more. Matt takes Caroline home and lays her down on her bed. Seeing that he is leaving, Caroline asks him to stay. He agrees and lies down in the bed and holds her close.

At the bar, Lexi confronts Damon and asks what he is really doing in Mystic Falls. His only answer is that it's all part of his diabolical plan. Not understanding what he's talking about, Lexi knows he won't tell her the truth. Sheriff Forbes appears at the front entrance with the surviving victim to have her point out the Vampire. She points directly at Lexi. Within seconds, Lexi feels a needle in her side and realizes too late that it is a needle full of vervain. They drag Lexi out of the Mystic Grill without causing a scene.

Stefan and Elena follow and hide out to see what is going to happen. Phoebe, still in the parking lot, follows Sheriff Forbes and Lexi. Once outside and at a safe distance, Lexi bares her fangs and attacks her captors. Sheriff Forbes begins to shoot but it does no good. All of a sudden out of nowhere, Damon appears and drives a wooden stake through Lexi's heart. Lexi stares at him and asks "why". He replies that it was part of the plan. Sheriff Forbes comes over and thanks him for his help. She knows that if it wasn't for Damon, she would probably have been killed. Now, they think they have killed the Vampire everyone has been searching for.

Stefan and Elena look on helplessly. They can't do anything without fear of being caught. Phoebe stood frozen behind the car she was peaking up over. As Lexi's body fell to the ground, Phoebe realized she might be seen, and dropped to the ground. Unfortunately, she wasn't quick enough.

Damon caught a glimpse of Phoebe as she dropped behind the car. He wanted to go to her, but he had to stay in character for Sheriff Forbes. Although he knew Phoebe would eventually find out about what he'd done, he never wanted her to witness it firsthand. Hearing he'd done something bad was easier to forgive than witnessing it.

Stefan decides to confront Damon for the last time. Elena begs him to not go but Stefan warns her to stay away from him. He knows that he must destroy Damon or he will keep on killing the people that he loves.

Damon took care of the Sheriff, and then went to take care of Phoebe. She was still sitting behind the car, staring off into space. Damon had to take a moment to think of what to say.

"What are you doing here, Phoebe? I thought you were helping Donovan take Caroline home," he asked.

"How could you do that?" asked Phoebe, ignoring his question. "How could you kill your brother's best friend?"

"I needed to throw the council off our trail. They were looking for a vampire, so I gave them one," answered Damon.

Phoebe looked up at him in disbelief, and rose to her feet, "There were other ways you could've handled that. Better ways, than killing your brother's best friend. If you had to point the finger at her then you could've waited until she left town. You didn't have to kill her."

"What do you want me to say, Phoebe? You want me to say that I'm sorry? Well too bad, because I'm not," he spat.

"It's his birthday, Damon!" she exclaimed. "How would you like it if he killed someone you loved on your birthday? You've just forced him to forever associate his birthday with the loss of his closest friend."

Damon said nothing. He just stared down at her, refusing to admit she was right.

Phoebe took a deep breathe, and gave him some advice, before leaving, "I'd be wary of Stefan, now, if I were you. There's only so much torment he can take from you, and I think you might have just pushed him to his breaking point."

Stefan finds Damon and attacks him. Using all his strength, he tries to destroy Damon. He pulls out a wooden stake and plunges it into Damon's chest. He doesn't aim for his heart, though, because he wants this to be a final warning for Damon to leave him alone. Stefan spares Damon's life but Damon tries to tell him that he did it to help him. Stefan wants nothing more to do with him and walks away. Damon tears the stake out of his chest and is left there alone.


	9. History Repeating

Chapter 9: History Repeating

Bonnie is in class, when she sees Emily walk by and leaves the class to follow her. Emily leads her to an old burned down building. Bonnie wakes up in the class screaming and everyone is staring at her. She turns around and sees Emily sitting right next to her and Bonnie wakes up again, this time for real, in the woods.

Later at school, Caroline runs into Matt, who simply says "hey", and walks away. She later confronts him on it, claiming he's being a lame boy by spending the night with her and now ignoring her. He explains he isn't treating her any differently, and her trying to make it into something bigger than it is, is a lame girl move. In History, a new history teacher, Alaric Saltzman, walks into the class and introduces himself. After class, Bonnie describes Elena her dream thinking that she is haunted by Emily, because of the crystal she is wearing.

At the boarding house, Damon tries to make nice with Stefan for killing Lexi. He explains that he did it for them, and also promises not to feed on human for a week. However, Stefan is not really amused by his humor over the subject. Stefan later finds Elena at school and informs her that he will not be coming to school anymore or near her to protect her.

Alaric calls Jeremy in to give him a second chance after seeing his grades from Mr. Tanner's notes. He asks him to write a paper about local history. Jeremy thanks him and he notices the ring that Alaric wears. A ring that looks a lot like the ones Damon and Stefan have. He explains that it belonged to his father, and Jeremy seems satisfied with that answer.

Meanwhile, Damon confronts Bonnie and demands his necklace back but Bonnie is not giving it. Damon tells her that he knows about Emily haunting her and, before he leaves, he gives Bonnie a message for Emily: "A deal's a deal". Bonnie tells Elena about Damon as they drive home when suddenly she pulls the car over and throws the crystal into an open field. Elena calls Stefan to inform him about Damon and the crystal. The two, plus Phoebe, discuss it out on the porch. Stefan explains that Emily was Katherine's handmaid and that the crystal was once belonged to Katherine. However, he does not know why Damon wants it so badly but he promises to find out.

After which Elena returns inside, but Stefan stops Phoebe from following.

"Phoebe, can I talk to you for a moment?" asked Stefan.

"Sure," replied Phoebe.

"Has Damon said anything to you that might indicate why he's here?" he inquired.

Phoebe thought about for a moment, then replied, "No, not that I can think of."

"Think harder. There has to be something. You're the most observant person I've ever met, Phoebe. If anyone can figure him out, it's you," he pressed. "Hell, you figured out we were vampires. Nothing that helped you draw that conclusion indicates to why he might be here?"

"I can't think on the spot like this," she said. "When I figured out you two were vampires I was alone, I had music, and I wasn't being pressured to figure it out."

"Okay, then I'll leave you alone. Do whatever you need to do. I'll go talk to Damon, and see if I can get anything out of him," he told her.

Phoebe nodded, and went back inside. With Bonnie over, and Caroline due to join them at the house, it would be impossible to focus. That meant Phoebe had to go out. She told Elena what she was up to, grabbed what she needed, and headed out. She put on her headphones, and began walking in no particular direction.

 _"Where do I begin?"_ she asked herself. _"I suppose the best question to answer first is what does Damon need with a crystal? He's a vampire, not a witch. What possible use could he have for a magical talisman? Stefan said it was Katherine's, but if Damon wanted it for sentimental reason then he would've taken it years ago. So why does he need it now?_

_"What does Damon care about most? Making Stefan's life a living hell. He does that well enough without a magic crystal. Katherine? Maybe he's planning to use the crystal to resurrect her somehow. Is that even possible? It can't be. If it were, then he'd have done that years ago._

_"What does Damon need with the crystal that he's had to wait nearly 150 years for? Maybe it's a magical thing. Searching the web will take forever, especially since I don't even know what I'm looking for. Wait a minute. I could ask Bonnie's grandmother. She teaches Occult Studies at the University, and she actually is a witch."_

Phoebe headed for Mrs. Bennett's house to ask her about this.

Jenna and Jeremy are at the Grill talking about his paper when she sees Alaric. Jeremy offers to introduce her, but she declines and tells Jeremy that he can use his father's stuff for his paper. Alaric approaches and introduces himself. Jenna thanks him for giving Jeremy a second chance. Later Jeremy leaves and Jenna, being alone, goes and sits with Alaric at the bar. Alaric tells her that his wife died, implying that she was murdered. He later escorts Jenna back home, but she does not invite him in because Jeremy is home.

Elena tries to get Bonnie and Caroline to make up. She invites Caroline for dinner, while Bonnie is already there. Caroline apologizes but she gets upset when Bonnie tells her that she threw the necklace away. But Caroline finds the necklace in Bonnie's purse and she accuses her of lying. Bonnie is surprised to see the crystal and wonders if Emily will ever leave her alone. Caroline doesn't understand. Bonnie tells her that she is a witch, but Caroline just mocks her.

Phoebe arrived at Mrs. Bennett's house and knocked on the door. She put on a smile, as the door opened, "Hi, Mrs. Bennett, I'm Phoebe Gilbert. My sister Elena is friends with Bonnie."

"What can I do for you, Phoebe?" asked Mrs. Bennett, returning her smile.

"I'm working on a paper for History class, about witches, and Bonnie said that you teach Occult Studies at the University; so I was wondering if you would help me with it?" Phoebe lied. "I apologize for the late hour, but I just had the idea a few minutes ago."

"It's alright, I'd be glad to help. Please, come in," replied Mrs. Bennett. Phoebe entered the house, and they both sat down in the living room. "Now, how can I help?"

"I understand witches can use talismans to amplify their power. Are there any other things they can use?" Phoebe inquired, trying not to sound too suspicious.

"Witches can draw power from a number of things. They can draw power from other witches, nature, or astrological events," she replied. "Although, astrological events are sometimes unpredictable."

"What if there was an astrological event that was reoccurring, such as the comet?" Phoebe asked.

"They _could_ use that, but if they decided to undo whatever they had done, they'd have to wait a very long time before they could undo it," she explained. "A witch would only do that if she needed a lot of power for something, and planned to keep her spell in place for a very long time. Possibly forever."

Caroline apologizes, once again, to Bonnie and gives her the necklace back. She then proposes the three of them have a séance. During the séance, the candles flare, a cold wind blows in while Bonnie is calling for Emily. The window opens with a blast and the three girls freak out. Bonnie throws the crystal on the floor but when the lights come back on, the crystal is not there.

Phoebe's mind began to race, _"Okay, that answered a few questions. Damon didn't need the crystal before now, because he couldn't use it. He needed the comet, which only comes around every 150 years. But what exactly does he need it for? What would Damon wait 150 years for? The best answer is still Katherine, but she died in the fire. If she hadn't, then she and Damon would've been together this whole time._

_"Okay, the crystal was Emily's before it was Katherine's, and Emily was a witch. What if Emily used the crystal and the comet to cast some kind of protection spell on Katherine? If that were the case, then wouldn't she be here, now? With Damon? Maybe she made her a type of panic room. But the entire church was burned to the ground. Maybe the panic room was under the church. No, that's no good. Katherine would've starved to death by now...wouldn't she? What happens to a vampire when they're deprived of blood?"_

"I can see why they call you a genius. I can see those gears turning from here," Mrs. Bennett noted, with a smile.

Phoebe looked at her, and returned the smile, "I'm sorry. That just got my mind racing."

"More questions?" she asked.

"No, ma'am. More like pieces coming together," Phoebe answered.

"Then maybe you should get home and write those thoughts down, before they go away," she suggested.

"I think I will," Phoebe replied, getting to her feet. "Thank you, Mrs. Bennett. You've been a big help."

"Anytime, dear. I'm glad I could help," replied Mrs. Bennett, seeing her out. "You have a good night."

"You too," said Phoebe.

As soon as the door was closed, Phoebe pulled out her phone, and texted Stefan. She asked him what happens to vampires when they're deprived of blood. He told her that they desiccate, and mummify. She asks if they're still alive. He tells her yes, they are. The last thing she asks is where he and Damon are, currently, and then heads to meet them.

Elena, Caroline, and Bonnie search for the crystal when Elena sees a figure crossing the hallway. Bonnie sees the necklace in the bathroom and goes in to get it, but the door closes, locking her inside. She starts screaming for help and Elena and Caroline try to open the door, but they can't. Suddenly, the door opens and Bonnie seems fine, but she is acting weird. The reflection in the mirror shows that Emily got into her body. Bonnie says she is fine and walks downstairs. Elena calls to her, but she is not answering. She realizes that Emily has possessed Bonnie's body, tries to stop her from leaving the house, but she cannot.

In the meantime, Stefan is being friendly to Damon so he can be able to make him tell him why he wants the crystal. They play darts at the bar and later go to the football field to play football. While they are talking, Damon finally asks Stefan what he wants. Stefan starts talking about Katherine and tells him that what they felt about her was not real since she compelled them to think so. Damon doesn't want to talk about it and walks away.

Phoebe arrives shortly after the brothers. She watches them play football, and then talk about Katherine. The brothers don't notice her, until Damon turns to leave.

"Phoebe. What brings you-," began Damon.

Phoebe cut him off, "I know what you're doing in Mystic Falls."

"You figured it out?" asked Stefan.

Phoebe nodded, "He's here to get Katherine back."

"That's impossible, she died in 1864," objected Stefan.

"My guess is Emily used magic to protect her from the fire. With the crystal and the passing comet, she created a sort of panic room under the church for Katherine. But it couldn't be opened again, until the comet returned to Mystic Falls. Until now," explained Phoebe.

Damon stared at her with a combination of disbelief and impression.

"You told me everything I needed to know. Well, except for the magical stuff. That, I just learned a little while ago," she added.

Stefan looked at Damon, "Is that true? Is  
Katherine alive?"

"Well, if that's what you wanna call it. She's been trapped in a mystical holding cell for the last century and a half," replied Damon.

"But why would Emily do that? How do you even know Emily did that?" questioned Stefan. "She never said anything to me."

"Because I asked her to. When I saw the townspeople looking at Katherine, I begged Emily to protect her. I told her to name her price," answered Damon.

"What was it?" asked Phoebe.

"She knew they were gonna come for her, too, so she made me promise her lineage would survive," he replied.

Stefan's phone began to ring. It was Elena. Damon listened with his vampire hearing, as Elena told Stefan about Emily taking over Bonnie's body. Damon took off to find Emily. Once off the phone, Stefan and Phoebe went after him. In order to catch up, Stefan had to carry Phoebe while he flitted.

Damon encounters Emily who tells him that she can't keep her promise, because things are different now. Damon tries to attack her, but she throws him aside, impaling him on a tree using her witch power. Phoebe and Stefan arrived to find Damon impaled on a tree. Stefan put Phoebe down, and helped his brother. Phoebe felt a little sick from the flitting, and now the sudden stop. It was like a bad carnival ride. She took a moment to compose herself, and then joined the brothers.

Damon fell to the ground and groaned, "Oh that hurt."

Phoebe knelt down by his side to help him up.

Looking up at her, he added, "This is why I feed on people."

Phoebe rolled her eyes, and helped him lean against the tree.

"Stefan," said Emily.

"Hello, Emily," replied Stefan.

"These people don't deserve this," said Emily. "They should never have to know such evil."

"What do you mean evil?" asked Phoebe.

"Emily, I swear to God I'll make you regret this," threatened Damon.

"I won't let you unleash them into this world," replied Emily.

"Them?" questioned Stefan and Phoebe in unison. Everyone looked at Damon.

"What part of the story did you leave out, Damon?" asked Stefan.

"What does it matter?" retorted Damon.

"Emily, did you save everyone in the church?" asked Phoebe, putting two and two together.

"To save her, I had to save them," she answered.

"You saved everyone in the church?" asked Stefan, surprised.

"With one comes all," replied Emily.

"I don't care about that. I just want Katherine," said Damon, stumbling away from the tree. He leaned on Phoebe.

"I knew I shouldn't have believed a single word that comes out of your mouth," grumbled Stefan. "This isn't about love, is it? This is about revenge."

"The two aren't mutually exclusive," replied Damon.

"Damon, you can't do this," said Phoebe.

"Why not? They killed 27 people, and they called it a war battle. They deserve whatever they get," spat Damon.

"You're blaming innocent people for something that happened 145 years ago," explained Phoebe.

"There is nothing innocent about these people," replied Damon. He turned to address Emily, "And don't think for a second it won't happen again! They already know too much, and they'll burn your little grand witch right next to us when they find out!"

Phoebe pushed Damon off of her, "Some of these people are admittingly narrow-minded, but none of us deserve to be punished for a crime we didn't commit. Things are different now, Damon, it's not 1864 anymore. And if by some strange plot twist they do try to burn you, Bonnie, and Stefan alive I'll be there to get you all out. Whether I'm on my own, or I have help. I won't let them hurt you, Damon. Any of you."

"I can't release them," said Emily. "I won't."

"Don't do this," pleaded Damon.

Emily ignited a ring of fire around her, and destroyed the crystal. Elena arrived in time to see the crystal destroyed. Stefan caught her before she could run into the fire for Bonnie. Emily extinguished the fire, and left Bonnie's body. Damon was so angry with Emily, he attacked Bonnie. Stefan and Phoebe both ran to stop him, but Stefan reached him first, shoving his brother aside.

While Stefan and Elena focused on helping Bonnie, Phoebe turned her attention to Damon. She understood he was just upset. As she looked at him, she noticed something about his face that she'd never seen before. She moved closer to get a better look, but he turned away from her, and walked away.

Meanwhile in Caroline's room, Matt drops by to talk to her. He tells her that he's never liked her and that cuddling with her creeped him out, yet it was nice. He tells her that with Vicki gone and his mom off with her boyfriend, Phoebe's all he has; but even she's been keeping busy lately. So he needs another friend to hang out with, when she's busy, and he wants Caroline to be that friend.

Once healed, the twins take Bonnie to Elena's car, while Stefan checks on his brother. Damon is devastated, because his only shot to bring Katherine back is gone. He tells Stefan that Katherine never compelled him. That he knew everything from the beginning, and he really loved her.

Stefan returns to Bonnie and the twins. Bonnie does not understand what happened and Elena promises to explain everything. With Stefan back, Phoebe leaves Elena to calm Bonnie down, so she can ask Stefan where Damon went.

"He's over there," replied Stefan, pointing to Damon's location. "He needed some time alone."

Phoebe nodded, as she looked in the direction he was pointing.

"Can I ask you something?" inquired Stefan.

"Yeah. Sure," replied Phoebe.

"Why do you care so much? About Damon?" asked Stefan.

"Because someone has to," answered Phoebe. "Everyone needs a friend, Stefan, and not one that's been compelled to be your friend. Someone who cares out of their own free will."

"But he doesn't deserve it, Phoebe. Damon is a monster. He doesn't deserve to have someone like you care about him," he responded.

"He's not a monster. Damon does the things he does for a reason, not because he just likes to see people suffer. Monsters do things for the sheer pleasure of seeing people suffer," she argued.

"Damon enjoys seeing people suffer," Stefan pointed out.

"But that's not the reason he does things," she countered. "Look, I'm not saying I agree with the things he does, or even condone them; but I will defend him, because that's what friends do, Stefan. They stand by you, no matter what."

Stefan was unable to argue further, because Elena was headed over, and Phoebe was walking towards Damon's location. Elena informs Stefan that she will tell Bonnie the truth. She also tells him that she now knows she can be with him, but Stefan disagrees. He tells her that he will be leaving Mystic Falls, and walks away.

Once Phoebe reached Damon, she sat down next to him on the log.

"I don't want to hear it," said Damon, not bothering to look at her.

"Hear what?" she asked.

"Aren't you here to scold me for attacking Bonnie?" he asked, still looking off into the distance.

"Nope," she replied. "I'm just here to make sure you don't drive."

Damon looked at her, now, with a confused expression.

Phoebe did a double take at him, and then explained, "You aren't supposed to drive upset."

Damon maintained a neutral expression, as he turned back to looking out into the distance. Phoebe looked up at the sky. They both snuck a glance at the other, and smiled to themselves.

Later at the Gilbert house, with Logan knocks on the door. Jenna opens the door and Logan asks her if she will invite him in.


	10. The Turning Point

Chapter 10: The Turning Point

Logan Fell stands outside the Gilbert House, waiting for Jenna to invite him in the house. She refuses and slams the door in his face. An upset Logan attacks, and kills a woman who passes by at that moment.

Phoebe was up before anyone else the following morning. She hadn't slept much, since that night in the woods. Part of her was glad that Emily had destroyed the crystal, but she also felt bad that Damon wouldn't be able to reunite with the woman he loved. She was also aware that with no way of getting Katherine back, and Stefan's decision to leave, Damon would likely be leaving town. Everyone would be happy about that. Everyone, except Phoebe.

She went down to the kitchen, and made a pot of coffee. She poured herself a large cup, and brought it back up to her room. There she sat on her window seat, and drank her coffee, as she debated what she had been for the past two days. She was debating asking Damon to stay in Mystic Falls. Though she'd never admit it, she liked him, and considered him a friend.

 _"If I ask him to stay because I want him to, that'll just be a stroke to his ego,"_ she thought. _"I doubt it would work, anyway. He's no more likely to admit it than I am. I could give him a multiple choice. If he doesn't actually say he's staying for me and if I pretend not to know; then he'll be able to stay, without having to admit it."_

Phoebe sprang up, and began getting ready for the day. She was going to go to the Salvatore house, before school, to talk to Damon. In his room, Jeremy goes through his dad's stuff and an old journal he found. The journal is filled with notes and drawings of strange creatures, something that makes him want to start drawing again. Back in Phoebe's room, she didn't want to miss Damon, so she threw on a random t-shirt and jeans. She didn't even bother fixing the drooping, lopsided ponytail she had slept with. On her way out her room, she ran into Jeremy.

"Woe, where are you going in such a hurry?" inquired Jeremy.

"Uh, I have to run an errand before school," Phoebe lied.

"Okay? Before you go, I was wondering if I could borrow some of your art supplies?" asked Jeremy.

"Uh, sure," answered Phoebe. "You remember where I keep them?"

"In the middle drawer of your window seat," he replied, confidently.

"Yep," said Phoebe, heading downstairs. She called back up, "Help yourself!"

Jenna and Elena came out of their rooms in time to hear Phoebe leaving.

"Where's she going so early?" asked Jenna?

"She said she had an errand to run before school," answered Jeremy.

"An errand? What errand?" asked Elena.

"Didn't ask," said Jeremy, heading into Phoebe's room.

Jenna and Elena exchanged looks of confusion. Jenna shrugged, and went downstairs to get some coffee. Elena gave up trying to think so early in the morning, and went back to her room to get dressed.

Phoebe grew more nervous the closer she got to the Boarding House. What if they already left? What if she was wrong about how Damon felt about her? As she pulled up into their driveway, she pushed these thoughts aside. She was now so nervous; she was almost in a panic. This was a common problem for Phoebe, when she became nervous. She'd somehow get herself more anxious than needed, until she was on the verge of a panic attack. That's about how she felt now. Phoebe flew out of the car, and up to the door. There she began knocking with one hand, while ringing the bell with the other.

On the inside, the boys had been discussing what they were going to do once they left Mystic Falls. When they heard someone frantically trying to get their attention at the door, Stefan went to answer it. Mildly curious, Damon followed. Stefan opened the door to find a distressed Phoebe, and became instantly concerned.

"Phoebe? What's wrong?" asked Stefan.

All Phoebe could get out in response was, "Damon."

Stefan turned back to his brother, "What did you do, now?"

Damon stood in the entryway, confused, "I didn't do anything."

Phoebe saw Damon, and felt a wave of relief wash over her. She held up a finger, while she took a deep breathe, and calmed herself. Once calm, she addressed the brothers, "Sorry, when I get anxious or nervous about something I tend to make myself panicky. Damon didn't do anything; I was just looking for him. I need to talk to him."

The brothers exchanged looks of confusion.

"About what?" asked Stefan.

"That is none of your business," replied Phoebe, walking towards Damon. She grabbed his arm, and pulled him out to the back patio. She called back to Stefan, "No listening with your super vampire hearing!"

Now outside, Damon asked, "What can I do for you?"

"Don't go," she blurted out.

"Come again?" asked Damon.

"Don't go," she repeated. "Don't leave Mystic Falls. I know you don't have a reason to stay anymore, but you can find another one."

Damon looked at her suspiciously, "Why?"

"Well, if you stay then Stefan will stay, and if he stays then he and Elena can be together again. You could also stay because I'm probably the only friend you have in the entire world. Or because playing human on the Founders' Council is amusing," listed Phoebe.

"No, not why _should_ I stay. Why do _you_ _want_ me to stay?" he rephrased.

Phoebe avoided eye contact, "I told you why. If you stay, then Stefan will stay, and he and Elena-."

"No, that's not it," Damon interrupted. He moved closer to her, and he could hear her heart beating faster. "Why do _you_ want me to stay?"

Phoebe continued avoiding eye contact, "That-that is the reason."

"Look me in the eye and say it," said Damon.

Phoebe looked up at him, and opened her mouth to speak. She hesitated for a brief moment before saying, "I have to get to school."

Damon laughed as she brushed past him, and went inside. He followed her in, and called, "You know, you still haven't answered my question."

"Yes I did," she called back.

"Nope," he disagreed. "And you know what else?"

"Oh, do tell," she replied, sarcastically. She turned back to look at him.

"I'm not leaving until I get my answer," he told her, with a serious expression.

Phoebe could read between the lines. He was agreeing to stay, because she asked him to. Stefan looked back and forth between the two, confused. He became even more confused, as Phoebe became equally serious, and replied, "Then I guess that means we're stuck with each other."

Damon gave her a mild grin, which she returned before leaving. Stefan asked Damon what that was all about, but Sheriff Forbes arrived asking for Damon. She tells Damon that there was a new vampire attack in the town, something that surprises him. Stefan overhears their conversation and asks Damon if it was him. Damon reassures him that there is a new vampire in town and they decide not to leave till they find him.

Meanwhile, Caroline and Matt get closer; something that everyone notices, including Tyler Lockwood, who grills Matt about it. Bonnie is still a little freaked out about being attacked by Damon but she is grateful to Stefan who saved her life. Stefan shows up at school to inform Elena about the new vampire and to be careful till they'll find out who he is. Matt and Phoebe are helping set up for the career fair that night.

"Still wanna be an astronaut?" Phoebe joked.

Matt laughed, "I can't believe you remember that."

"I can remember the tin foil helmet that you wore," she retorted.

"I was 8! Besides, you're the one that made me that helmet," he argued.

"True," she agreed.

Matt hesitated before asking his next question, "So what's up with you and Damon?"

"What do you mean?" asked Phoebe.

"I've seen you two together. You dating or somethin'?" Matt rephrased, a little leery of the answer.

"No," she answered. "We're just friends."

"Good, because I've heard he's a real jerk," said Matt, relieved.

"He can be," she admitted. "What about you, Matt Donovan? I heard about you and Caroline."

"Aw, man, not you, too," he groaned, playfully.

Phoebe smiled.

"We're just friends. It's not a big deal," he answered.

"No?" she questioned, teasingly.

Matt got serious, and looked her in the eye, "No."

Phoebe stared back into his big blue eyes. She was thankful, when her phone went off. It was Damon. Matt seamed annoyed, when he saw who it was. Phoebe stepped out of hearing range for the call.

"Hello?" said Phoebe, answering her phone.

"Hey, it's me," said Damon.

"Hello, Me," said Phoebe, playfully.

Damon furrowed his eyebrows for a moment, and then caught on, "It's Damon."

"I know. My phone told me," she said.

"You have my number in your phone?" he questioned.

As Phoebe thought about it, she realized then that they've never actually talked on the phone before, let alone exchanged numbers. "Why you gotta make it weird? You have _my_ number in _your_ phone."

"Because I got it from Stefan," Damon defended.

"So did I," she said.

"Okay, whatever. I need your help with something," he told her. "After you left this morning, Sheriff Forbes came by with news of another vampire attack. She asked me to look into it, and I need your help to do that."

"What can I do?"

"I have your ancestors pocket watch, which is actually enchanted to locate vampires. I need you to use it, because I'll interfere with the signal," he explained. "But don't worry, I'll stay on the phone with you the whole time, and if you run into trouble I'll be right there. I just have to keep far enough away so you won't be tracking me, instead of the other guy."

Phoebe imagined that and giggled to herself.

"What?" Damon asked.

"Nothing," she answered. "When do you need me?"

"Right now would be preferable," he told her. "I'm outside the school, now."

"Now?"

"This could take a while, and we need to do it during the day, when he can't go outside," Damon pointed out.

"Right. Okay, we'll need to stop by my house, first," she told him.

"For what?"

"I need to get my vervain. If you're gonna send me out to purposely track down a homicidal vampire, I would feel better if I had my vervain," she explained.

"Fine. Just hurry, you're wasting daylight," he teased.

"I'll be out in a minute," she replied, hanging up the phone. She walked back to Matt, and handed him her car keys, "Can you give these to Elena for me?"

"Sure. Where are you going?" Matt asked her.

"Damon needs my help with something."

"He can't wait until after school?" Matt questioned.

"Unfortunately, no. It something he can only do during the day and it may take a while, so…"

"So why not wait 'till the weekend?" Matt pushed.

"It has to be done today. That's all I can tell you," she answered. Phoebe stood on her tip-toes, gave her friend a peck on the cheek, and headed out to Damon.

Phoebe uses the Gilbert Compass to track down where the vampire was hiding; while Damon kept his distance, since he interferes with the signal. However, he stays on the phone with Phoebe the whole time, just in case something happens. It takes a while, but when Phoebe locates the vampire, Damon shows up in a flash.

Taking the device from her, and placing it in his pocket, he told her, "Thanks for your help. You can go home, now."

"Thanks for the permission," she mumbled, following him closer to the building.

Damon stopped, and looked at her, "What are you doing?"

"Coming in with you," she replied.

"No, you're not," he disagreed.

"Yes, I am," she argued.

"Phoebe, it's too dangerous," he countered.

"I appreciate your concern, but I'll be fine," she said, confidently.

"How can you be so sure?" he asked.

"Because I have you," she replied. She could tell her answer surprised him. He hadn't expected her to have such confidence in his ability to keep her safe. To even trust that he would keep her safe. "Now, do you want to keep standing here, arguing, or do you want to take care of our vampire problem?"

Damon's eyes narrowed, "Fine. But you stay with me, and you do as I say. I say run, you run. Got it?"

Phoebe gave a casual salute.

Damon, followed very closely by Phoebe, walked up to the door. He turned the handle until the lock broke, and the door opened. Normally at this point Damon would've held the door open for Phoebe; but given the circumstances, they entered together. They'd barely stepped two feet inside, when Logan Fell shot Damon, repeatedly.

As Damon fell to the ground, he told Phoebe, "Run!"

Phoebe, reluctantly, headed for the exit, but found her path blocked by Logan. She backed away, slowly. Logan moved towards her at equal pace. The two didn't stop until Phoebe backed into Damon.

"Sit," said Logan, gesturing for her to do so.

She sat down on Damon's left.

Logan then warned them both, "I have tons of these little wooden bullets, so nothin' funky."

"You don't wanna do this. Trust me," said Damon.

Logan shot him once more.

"Aah! Ow!" cried Damon.

Phoebe jumped, and flinched at the shot.

"That's what you get," said Logan, calmly.

"For what?" asked Phoebe.

"He made me like this," replied Logan.

"I killed you. I didn't turn you," said Damon, pulling the wooden bullets out of himself.

"See, I know what you and your brother are," began Logan. "I've been watchin' the two of you. I knew you'd show up here, and I'm glad you did, because I have some questions."

"Me first," said Damon. "Who turned you?"

"How should I know? The last thing I remember is I'm about to stake your brother, and then you grabbed me. That's it," replied Logan. "Until I wake up in the ground behind a used-car dealership on highway 4. Somebody buried me."

"It happens. Ow," mumbled Damon, still picking out the wooden bullets.

"You bit me," argued Logan. "It had to be you."

"It doesn't work that way, Twilight," Phoebe snapped. "You have to have vampire blood in your system when you die."

"And I didn't do that," Damon added. "Some other vampire found you. Gave you their blood."

"Who?" asked Logan.

"That's what I wanna know," replied Damon.

"Dude, it's not like the welcome wagon was waiting with a Bundt cake and a handbook. It's been a learn-as-you-go process," said Logan. "You know, one minute I'm a small-town on-the-rise news guy, and next thing I know, I can't get into my house, because my foot won't go through the door!"

"You have to be invited in," said Phoebe.

Logan narrowed his eyes at Phoebe, "I know. I live alone."

Damon snickered, "That sucks."

"So now I'm at the Ramada watchin' pay-per-view all day, eating everything in sight, including housekeeping," Logan continued.

"It could be worse," mumbled Damon.

"All I can think about is blood and killing people," said Logan. "I can't stop killing people. I keep killing. Heh heh. And I like it! I'm conflicted."

Phoebe slowly turned her head to look at Damon, as she asked, "Wait, so that's a vampire thing, not a you thing?"

Damon gave her a funny look, "No it's not a me thing. All vampires are like that. Including St. Stefan."

"Sorry, I didn't know. Before now, you were the only vampire I knew that enjoyed being homicidal," Phoebe apologized. She had a thought and quickly changed topic. "Hang on; I thought you said the cops only found one body."

"I left one. I was tired," explained Logan. He gestured behind him as he continued. "But I've been hiding the rest of the bodies. They're right back there."

"You're kidding," mumbled Damon, as he looked.

"They're just pilin' up," Logan added.

Phoebe stared at the bodies in shock, then at Logan.

Logan looked at Phoebe, hungrily.

Damon noticed this and extended his arm, protectively, across Phoebe's lap. She instinctively grabbed his hand.

Back at the school, there is a career fair where Jeremy sees a sketch that Tyler drew. He tries to talk to him, but Tyler gets aggressive and they end up fighting. Tyler's dad separates them and takes them outside where he asks them to fight and solve their differences. Alaric, who followed them outside, stops the Mayor from making the two boys fight.

Back at the warehouse, Logan sits down and tells Damon, "It's my turn to ask questions. Why am I so overly emotional? All I can think about is my ex-girlfriend. I wanna be with her and bite her and stuff."

"Well, you probably love her," answered Damon. "Anything you felt before will be magnified now. You're gonna have to learn to control that."

"What about walkin' in the sun?" asked Logan. "I'm a morning person. You can walk in the sun, which by the way is pretty cool. The council'd never suspect you."

As Logan rambled, Phoebe carefully removed Damon's ring, and concealed it in her hand.

"That's not in the journals," Logan added.

"What journals?" asked Phoebe.

"The Founding Fathers, they passed down their journals to their kids," Logan answered. He added, anxiously, "Come on, man, ya gotta tell me. How can you walk around in the sun?"

The only response Damon gave was, "Who turned you?"

Logan became agitated, "How do you walk in the sun?"

"Who turned you?" Damon repeated.

"You know, I've been really nice so far. But I will kill you," Logan threatened.

"Then you'll never know," said Damon.

"I have things to do, people to kill. I guess I'll be needing a little head start," Logan responded. He dragged Phoebe to her feet by her falling ponytail, and cocked her head to the side, exposing her neck. He kept the gun fixed on Damon, and threatened, "I'll ask you one more time, and then she's dinner. How do you walk in the sun?"

"Don't tell him, Damon," said Phoebe, calmly.

"Let her go," Damon snarled.

"Answer my question," Logan demanded. "Or you can kiss your girlfriend here goodbye."

"Damon, I swear to God, if you tell him we are _done_ ," said Phoebe.

Damon became very confused, "What?"

Phoebe used her eyes to indicate for him to look at her hands. She was exchanging Damon's ring for the vial of vervain that was in her pocket.

Damon followed her lead, and played along, "Phoebe, he'll kill you if I don't tell him."

Phoebe opened the vial, and emptied the herb into her hand, as she replied, "I'm well aware of that, Damon, but I can't let him walk in the sun."

"And I can't lose you," replied Damon. What neither of them knew was Damon actually meant it.

Phoebe reached up, and slapped the vervain into Logan's face. Logan released her to grab his face, and Damon charged. He sent Logan flying, then picked up Phoebe, and flitted out of there.

At the school fair, Elena catches up with Matt asking him about Caroline and telling him about Stefan. Stefan interrupts them and he tries to update Elena about the new vampire when Jenna comes and tells them that Logan is at the school. Stefan, who knows that Logan was supposed to be dead, realizes that he is the new vampire and leaves to find him. Elena asks what is going on and Stefan asks her to take Jenna and go. Elena understands his tone and leaves, telling Jenna not to talk to Logan.

Damon brings Phoebe straight home. He makes sure she's okay, and tells her to stay inside where she's safe. Phoebe waits for him to leave, then takes a quick shower (to wash off the grime and Damon's blood). She then heads for the Career Fair at the school. No one had seen her, nor heard from her in hours. Thankfully, Jeremy and Elena had ridden with Aunt Jenna, so there was a car for her to drive there.

Meanwhile, Logan asks Stefan how he can walk in the sunlight and he threatens to expose him if he won't tell him. Stefan steps up to him and he leaves. Caroline announces to her mother that she wants to be a broadcast journalist, but her mom is not impressed stating that Caroline doesn't even read the paper. Caroline leaves, upset and Logan confronts the Sheriff for whom he believes is the one who buried him and covered his death. He threatens her and then leaves, while Sheriff calls for back up. Logan sees Caroline outside and offers to drive her home. Matt sees Caroline getting into Logan's car but he doesn't see that Logan knocks her unconscious before they drive away.

Damon calls Stefan, as he changes out of his bloody clothes.

"Logan Fell's a vampire, and when I find him again, I am gonna destroy him limb by limb," said Damon.

"What happened? You okay?" asked Stefan.

"No. I'm not okay," replied Damon. "I was ambushed. I was shot. He tried to eat Phoebe. And now I'm vengeful."

"Is Phoebe okay?" asked Stefan.

"She's fine. He didn't hurt her," answered Damon. "But when I find him..."

"Well, there's no need. He's here at the school," said Stefan.

"You're kidding me. Why the hell is he there?" asked Damon.

"He's workin' the crowd," answered Stefan.

"Well, I'll be right there," said Damon, hanging up.

Elena and Stefan looking for Logan. They ask Matt if he's seen him, and he tells them he just saw him leave to bring Caroline home. Elena is terrified and Stefan leaves to find Caroline. Phoebe arrives after Stefan's gone to help Damon rescue Caroline from Logan. She makes the rounds to let Aunt Jenna, Matt, and Elena know she's okay. She tells Jenna the same thing she told Matt, earlier. Damon needed help with something, so he called his only friend.

Logan calls the Sheriff to tell her that he has her daughter and threatens to turn her into a vampire when Stefan and arrive. Damon shoots him with wooden bullets and sends Stefan off to take Caroline home. Damon informs the Sheriff where they are via the radio, and then he starts interrogating Logan trying to find out who turned him. Logan still says he doesn't know, but the moment Damon is about to kill him, Logan tells Damon that he and the vampire who turned him have another way to raise the vampires who are trapped under the Fell's Church, including Katherine. Damon is shocked, but he wants to believe him and, while the Sheriff approaches, he asks Logan to knock him down and make it look real. Logan throws Damon aside and escapes.

After taking Caroline home, Stefan gets back to school to find Elena. He tells her that they can't be together. Phoebe notices the tension between the two. Stefan notices her, and asks her about what happened with her and Damon that day. Phoebe promises to tell them both the whole story on the way to bring Stefan home.

Stefan drove, Elena rode shot gun, and Phoebe told her story from the backseat. She'd finished telling it, by the time they reached the Boarding House. Stefan said his goodbyes, and exited the vehicle. Elena watched him, longingly, as he walked up to the house. Phoebe had an idea.

"Hey, Elena? Would you mind driving home? I'm kinda tired," asked Phoebe, making herself yawn.

"Yeah. Sure," said Elena. She opened her door, hopped out, and closed the door.

Stefan turned back to see what was going on.

Elena noticed, and stopped in front of the car to explain, "Phoebe's tired. She's had a long day, so I'm gonna drive.

Stefan nodded in response.

While her sister took that moment to explain to Stefan, Phoebe crawled into the driver seat, and locked the doors.

Elena snapped her neck around to find Phoebe behind the wheel, "Phoebe? What are you doing? I thought you were-."

Phoebe cracked the window enough to be heard, "You and Stefan need to stop avoiding your problems, and deal with them. Short of asking Damon to help me lock the two of you in a room together, this is the best thing I can think to do."

"Phoebe, this isn't funny, unlock the car," said Elena.

Phoebe said nothing more on the matter. She rolled up the window, and drove away. Neither Elena, nor Stefan, was happy about what Phoebe did; but her plan did work. Elena tries to convince Stefan that he is not responsible for what is happening in her life since her life was painful way before his arrival. Stefan is not convinced though and he walks away. Elena shouts at him that she loves him. Stefan, hearing that, runs back to her and kisses her. The two of them get into the house and sleep together for the first time.

Logan heads to his car to go meet Damon, but he runs into Alaric. Alaric warns him to stay away from Jenna, because she deserves the best. Logan makes fun of him and then tries to attack him, but Alaric stakes him in the heart and kills him. The Sheriff finds Logan's body and calls Damon to thank him, thinking that it was him who killed him. Damon, who was waiting on Logan at the Fell's Church, is in shocked hearing the news and has no idea who might have killed Logan.

Back in Stefan's bedroom, Stefan leaves the room to bring Elena something to drink, leaving her alone. Elena starts walking around the room checking on Stefan's things when she sees Katherine's picture. She is in shock seeing how much she and Phoebe look like her and she immediately leaves. She texts her sister to come get her, so Stefan can't overhear. She walks far enough away from the house, and waits for her sister. Stefan comes back looking for her, but he can't find her. He sees the necklace he gave her on Katherine's picture and understands that Elena saw the picture.

Phoebe continues to text her sister as she drives. Elena tells her how they made up, but then she found a picture of Katherine. Phoebe doesn't understand why that would freak her out so much, until Elena sends her a picture of Katherine. Phoebe stares at the image in disbelief. When she looks up at the road, there's a person standing in the middle of it. She does her best to avoid hitting them, but fails. After hitting the person, the car begins to roll, landing upside down.


	11. Bloodlines

Chapter 11: Bloodlines

Having had the wind knocked out of her, Phoebe coughed as she looked around. Seeing only blurred outlines, she surmises that her glasses must've been knocked off. She tries feeling around for them, but stops when she hears something like bones cracking. She slowly turns towards the figure she'd hit. All she can see is a dark blur get up off the ground, and begin moving towards her. Phoebe becomes frantic in trying to get free, but can't. Her cell phone, now on the roof, begins to ring. She can't see who it is, but reaches for it anyway. Unfortunately, it's too far away. She glances over to see how close the figure is, now. He's standing right next to the car. Phoebe lets out a loud scream of terror.

Thankfully, Damon was nearby and heard her scream. He recognized it as being Phoebe's voice, and takes off to find her. As he approaches the car, the other vampire takes off. Phoebe was confused, until Damon appeared.

Damon squatted down next to the car, and peered inside, "How ya doin' in there?"

"Damon?" questioned Phoebe, squinting at his blurred outline.

"It's me," he confirmed, in a reassuring tone. He took a look around the inside of the car, "You look stuck."

Phoebe began to cry with relief, "It's my seatbelt."

Damon gently shushed her, as he opened the door to get to her easier. He knelt back down, "I'm gonna get you outta here. I want you to put your hands on the roof."

Phoebe did as he said.

"Just like that," he coached. "You ready?"

Phoebe nodded as best as she could.

"1...2...3," he counted, yanking the seatbelt away on 3. He then grabbed her and pulled her out, holding her bridal style. "I got you. Are you okay? Can you stand? Anything broken?"

Phoebe shook her head, "Uh-uh."

Damon put her down, cautiously.

Phoebe tried to stand, but only managed to collapse.

Damon caught her, "Whoa, you're fading fast, Phoebe. Phoebe, look at me."

She gripped his jacket in her hands, and tried her best to comply. It was hard. She could barely manage to keep her head up.

Damon grabbed her chin to help her keep her head steady, "Focus. Look at me."

Phoebe managed to open her eyes, and look at his blurry face.

"Good," said Damon, with a small smile.

Phoebe felt herself wanting to pass out, no matter how hard she fought it. As she stared at Damon, the way he looked at her made her feel uncomfortable. Normally, the way he looked at her made her feel special, but after seeing her resemblance to Katherine...

Damon could tell from her expression that something was wrong, "Phoebe?"

Phoebe used what little strength she had left to reply, "I look like her."

"What?" asked Damon.

Phoebe fell unconscious, collapsing in Damon's arms. He sank to the ground with her, and looked at her with a concerned expression. With her propped up against his knee, he stroked her hair a few times. He looked around, then picked her up, and carried her away.

In his apartment, Alaric stares at a picture of his wife, as he remembers moments he lived with her. He knows that there is evil in Mystic Falls and that he was right to come here. He later meets Jeremy at the school's parking lot. Jeremy informs him that he found a journal from the 1800s, something that he seems to be interested in.

Meanwhile, Phoebe wakes up in Damon's car. She sat up and looked around, inside and outside. She was still without her glasses, so everything was a blur.

"Mornin'," said Damon, cheerfully. He handed her a pair of glasses. "Here."

Phoebe took them and put them on, "Thanks. Where are we?"

"Georgia," replied Damon.

"Georgia?" she repeated. She looked at his smile and assumed he was joking. "Seriously, Damon. Where are we?"

"Seriously. We're-we're in Georgia," said Damon.

Phoebe looked confused.

"How you feelin'?" he asked.

"I-I-," she stuttered.

"There's no broken bones. I checked," he told her.

"Thanks," Phoebe mumbled. She began looking for her phone, but couldn't find it. "Where's my phone? Do you have it?"

Damon didn't answer.

"Come on, Damon. No one knows where I am, I have to call home," Phoebe pleaded.

Damon pulled the car over, and explained how he cleaned up the debris from the accident, so no one will be worried.

"Oh, great. Now, it looks like I ran away," replied Phoebe, getting out of the car. When she gets out of the car, it's obvious she's still sore from the crash.

Damon flits to her side to see if she's alright.

"I'm fine," she assured, standing up straight.

Damon took a step back.

"We have to go back, Damon. I wrecked my car, and no one knows where I am. Aunt Jenna and Elena are probably freaking out," Phoebe stopped, and realized something. "Oh no...Elena."

Damon looked confused, "What about Elena?"

"I was on my way to pick her up from your house, when I got in that wreck," she explained.

"I'm sure she's found another ride by now," he replied, uncaringly.

"No, you don't understand-," she began. She was cut off by the sound of her phone ringing. She gave Damon a look, "Is that my phone?"

Damon feigned ignorance, "Is it?"

Phoebe reached out, palm up, and waited for Damon to return her phone.

Sighing, he pulled her phone out of his pocket, and returned it.

Phoebe looked at the caller I.D. It was Stefan. Phoebe thought about whether she wanted to answer it or not.

Damon noticed her hesitance to answer the phone, "Who is it?

"Stefan," she answered.

"Aren't you going to answer it?" he asked.

"I don't know. He probably just wants to ask me about Elena, and I don't know what to tell him; because I haven't even spoken to her yet, not to mention the fact that I'm not in the mood to talk about their relationship problems," she explained.

"So tell him that," Damon suggested.

"If I tell him that then he's just going to ask me what's wrong, or he'll beg me to help him," Phoebe replied.

"What, is the word 'no' not in your vocabulary?" he jabbed.

"If you're so worried about it, then why don't you tell him?" she responded, holding out her phone to him.

Damon ignored the phone, "I'm not the one he's calling for help with his relationship."

"He's your brother," retorted Phoebe, staring him down the same way he was her.

"It's your sister he's dating," he replied.

The phone stopped ringing. The two looked at it.

"Well, I guess that solves that," Damon commented.

"Oh no, he'll call back," said Phoebe. "He'll keep calling until I answer."

The phone began ringing again. It was Stefan.

"You gonna get that?" asked Damon, grinning.

Phoebe sighed, and began to answer it. She stopped short, and handed it back to Damon, "You answer it."

"What, are you 12?" he joked.

"If I am, you are. You don't want to answer him either," replied Phoebe.

"Again, I'm not the one he's calling," said Damon.

"If you don't answer, I'll tell him that you kidnapped me," she threatened, jokingly.

"But I didn't kidnap you," he said.

"I was unconscious," she pointed out.

"You had just gotten into an accident. I was trying to make sure you were alright," he explained.

"It doesn't matter. If I tell him you kidnapped me, then he'll think you kidnapped me," she said.

"But I didn't kidnap you," he stated.

The phone stopped ringing, again.

"You know he's going to call again," said Phoebe.

"Yup," replied Damon.

"Are you going to answer?"

"Nope."

"Ok. Suit yourself."

The phone rang, again, and Phoebe answered. Using a fake voice of desperation, she said, "Stefan? Stefan you have to help me, Damon's kidnapped me and I don't know where I am."

Surprised that she was actually doing this, Damon took a moment to react. When he did, Phoebe kept dodging, and moving away from him. He grabbed her around the waist with one arm, and reached for the phone with the other. Phoebe held the phone out of his reach and attempted to continue with the false panic, but couldn't refrain from laughing. Damon tickled her to get her to bring her arms in, and then grabbed the phone. He released her, and backed away, so she couldn't get it back. Phoebe continued to laugh lightly, and Damon smiled back at her.

"Phoebe's phone," said Damon.

"Where is she?" asked Stefan, alarmed. "Is she okay?"

"She's right here. And yeah, she's fine," replied Damon, calmly. "It was just a joke, I didn't kidnap her. If you don't believe me, I draw your attention to her laughter. If I had indeed kidnapped her, she would not be laughing."

"Where are you? Let me speak to her," demanded Stefan, still concerned.

"Yeah, I don't-I don't think she really wants to talk to you, right now," said Damon.

"Damon, I swear to god, If you touch her-," began Stefan.

"You have a good day. Mhmm. Bye, now," said Damon, hanging up on Stefan. He looked at Phoebe, "Well, that was fun."

"It was," Phoebe admitted. "But the fun is over. We have to go home, now."

"We're almost there," said Damon.

"Where is there?" asked Phoebe.

"A little place right outside of Atlanta," he replied.

Phoebe gave him a look that said she wasn't giving up on going home, yet.

"Oh, come on, Phoebe. You don't wanna go back right now, do you? What's the rush? Time out," he said, making the gesture for it. "Trust me; your problems are still going to be there when you get home."

Phoebe thought about it.

"Look, step away from your overly responsible life for 5 minutes. 5 minutes," he pushed.

Phoebe sighed, "Am I gonna be safe with you?"

Damon looked her in the eye, and didn't hesitate, "Yes."

"You promise?"

"I promise."

She took a deep breathe, "Okay."

Back in Mystic Falls, Stefan finds Bonnie and asks her to help him find Phoebe. He gives her Phoebe's ponytail to make a spell, but when she tries nothing happens. She leaves and goes to her grandmother to ask her why she doesn't have her powers anymore. Her grandmother tells her that she has to face what scared her, so Bonnie goes to the Fell's Church where Emily destroyed the crystal.

In Georgia, Damon and Phoebe arrive at a bar, where Damon is old friends with the owner, Bree. Bree is a Witch and Damon came to ask her help, so he can bring Katherine back. After meeting Damon's friend, Phoebe goes outside to make a few calls. She tells Aunt Jenna that she fell asleep at Matt's and just went straight to school the next morning. She isn't happy with Phoebe for being so irresponsible, but has no reason to doubt her explanation. She calls Elena, next.

"Phoebe, where are you? Jenna and I have been worried sick. It's not like you to stay out all night, without telling someone," scolded Elena.

"I know, I know. You're right, and I'm sorry, but I couldn't call. Something came up on the way to pick you up," explained Phoebe.

"Does this something have a name? Damon Salvatore, perhaps?" asked Elena, mildly annoyed.

"It's a long story, Elena, and I'll be happy to tell it to you once I get back," replied Phoebe.

"So you are with Damon," Elena noted. "Wait a minute, back from where?"

Phoebe flinched, and mentally kicked herself for phrasing it the way she had, "...Georgia?"

"Georgia?! You and Damon went to Georgia?" Elena asked, surprised.

"It's a long story," replied Phoebe.

Elena took a deep breathe, "Okay. When will you be back?"

"I'm not sure," said Phoebe.

"What do you mean you're not sure?" asked Elena.

"Damon's visiting an old friend of sorts. I'm not sure when he'll be done here, but as soon as he is we'll be heading back," Phoebe answered. Before Elena could respond, Phoebe began receiving a call from Matt. "I have to go. Look, I know you don't trust Damon, but I do. As long as I'm with him, I'll be safe. So don't worry, okay?"

Phoebe hung up with Elena and answered Matt's call, "Hello?"

"Hey, where're you at?" asked Matt.

"I'm...out?" she replied.

"Out?" laughed Matt. Then it hit him, "You're with Damon, aren't you?"

Phoebe hesitated to answer, "...yes..."

Matt sighed into the phone, "Let me guess. He needed help with something."

"Matt, I know you don't like him-," she began.

"I don't like that every time he needs your help with something, he's dragging you away from school," he interjected. "Can't he wait until after school or on the weekend to ask for your help?"

"Believe me, I wish he would. But that's not how things work. When your friend says he needs you, you drop what you're doing to help him," said Phoebe. "I would do the same for you, you know?"

"I know, I just-," Matt began.

"Don't like Damon," said Phoebe, finishing his thought. "It's okay, Matt, you can say it. You're not the only one. And you don't have to like him. But I do."

"I know. I'm just tryin' to look out for ya, Pheebes," said Matt.

"I know," she replied. She heard the bell ring in the background. "Better get to class."

"Right. Talk to you later," he said, hanging up the phone.

Phoebe stuffed her phone into her jeans pocket, and returned to the bar. While Phoebe made her calls, Damon finally tells Bree what he wants and she tells him that he needs the crystal to open the tomb. Damon doesn't have the crystal and wants to know if they can use a different spell but to do that, the witch has to be blood related to Emily.

Jeremy is at the school's library looking for information about his paper when he meets Anna. The two of them start talking and Anna also tells him that she also has an old journal and she believes that the stories about vampires are real. Jeremy doesn't believe in vampires and tries to convince her that those stories are just fiction.

Phoebe sat at the bar next to Damon, who had ordered a couple of hamburgers for them.

"I hope you don't mind me ordering for you," said Damon.

"No, it's fine. I like hamburgers," replied Phoebe, with a smile.

"Good," he said, returning the smile. "Everything alright with your sister and aunt?"

"Yeah, I told Aunt Jenna that I stayed the night at Matt's, and then went straight to school. And I told Elena that I would explain everything once I got home," she answered.

"She didn't ask where you were?" he asked.

"She did," replied Phoebe.

Damon stared at her, waiting for more.

Phoebe looked around, shifty eyed, "What?"

"What did she say when you told her you were with me, in Georgia?" he asked.

"Not much. I told her it was a long story, and I'd tell her once we got back," she replied.

"Speaking of long stories, what exactly happened last night? Why did you have to go get Elena?" he questioned.

"Well, I forced them to talk about their issues, and make up, by leaving them stranded at your house, while I took the car back home," Phoebe began.

"Wait, how did you do that, if you stayed home where I left you?" questioned Damon.

Phoebe bit her lip, as her eyes roamed anywhere that wasn't Damon.

Damon's eyes narrowed, suspiciously, "Phoebe?"

"Okay, so I didn't stay home," said Phoebe.

Damon rolled his eyes, and tossed his hands up.

"Damon, no one had seen me or heard from me since that morning. They needed to know where I've been, and that I was okay," she explained.

"So you pick up a phone, and call them. You don't go outside, where a crazy new vampire can get you," Damon scolded.

"If only that were the way families worked," Phoebe retorted.

"What does that mean?" asked Damon, confused.

"It means that when you have people that love and care about you, a phone call doesn't cut it. When it's out of the norm for you to disappear all day, after receiving a text from the mysterious new hottie in town, they need to see that you're okay, not hear it over the phone," Phoebe explained.

Damon looked like he was absorbing what she had just said, until he responded, "So you think I'm hot?"

Now it was Phoebe's turn to roll her eyes, and toss her hands up.

Damon laughed, "I'm kidding. Well, sort of. But I get what you're saying."

Phoebe gave him a look that said 'good'. She then continued her story, "So my plan worked. They talked, they made up, and everything was great. Until I got a text from Elena, asking me to go get her."

"What was wrong?" asked Damon.

Phoebe hesitated, "...she'd found a picture of Katherine."

Now Damon avoided looking at her, in silence.

Phoebe continued, "I didn't understand the big deal, until she sent me a picture of her. Damon, she looks exactly like Elena and I combined. How is that even possible? I mean, are we related to her, or something? If we are, does that make us part vampire?"

"Vampires can't procreate. But we love to try," replied Damon, with his usual grin.

Phoebe smiled back, but gave him a look that told him she was serious.

"No, if you were really related to Katherine, it just means she had a child before she was turned," Damon explained.

Phoebe accepted this information, but there was something else bugging her, "So is that why you've been my friend? Because I look like her?"

Damon got serious, and looked her in the eye, "No. When I look at you, I see you. Phoebe Gilbert. Not Katherine."

Phoebe smiled, and looked back down at her plate. She picked the pickles off of her burger.

Damon reached over to take them, "Come on. What, you don't like pickles? What's wrong with you?"

Phoebe laughed, "I like pickles. I just don't like them hot, or on a burger."

"Weirdo," he mumbled.

"How can you even eat, if technically you're supposed to be..." Phoebe stopped herself, when she realized what she was saying.

Damon looked around in dramatic suspense, and whispered, "Dead? It's not such a bad word. As long as I keep a healthy diet of blood in my system, my body functions pretty normally." He quickly ate a fry in a silly manner, and bounced his eyebrows at her.

Phoebe smiled, and asked, "This whole nice act...being my friend...is it real?"

Damon gave her look, and mumbled, "Mhmm."

Phoebe smiled again. She liked seeing this side of Damon.

Bree brought Damon another beer, and Phoebe requested one.

Damon looked up, "Hmm?"

"Time-out, remember? For 5 minutes? Well, that 5 minutes is gonna need a beer," she explained.

Bree gets Phoebe's beer, and takes the opportunity of Damon being distracted by Phoebe to text someone to let them know that Damon is there.

In Mystic Falls, Bonnie arrives at Fell's Church. As she is looking around, she falls into a hole in the ground, inside the tomb. At the same time, Stefan goes to Bonnie's grandmother's house and asks for her. Sheila senses that he is a vampire, after touching his hand, and knowing that she can trust him, she tells him that he knows where to find Bonnie. Stefan goes to Fell's Church, finds Bonnie and gets her out of the tomb. While in the tomb, Bonnie was heard noises coming from behind a door with a pentagram drawn on it, something that tells Stefan about. He assures her that while the vampires are still barely alive, they are weak and desiccated and locked safely. Stefan brings Bonnie back home, and Sheila thanks him. The two of them seem to know each other from some years ago.

Back at the bar, a mysterious figure walks in and exchanges a look with Bree. Damon and Phoebe have progressed to doing shots. Phoebe staggers outside to answer her phone, when a man grabs her and drags her away. Damon notices her absence and goes out to look for her. He sees Phoebe, but when he tries to help her, the man beats him with a baseball bat and starts dousing him with gasoline.

"No!" Phoebe calls out, running towards Damon.

The stranger gives her a look that makes her stop short.

Phoebe asks the man who he is. He explains that he was Lexi's boyfriend, and he's here to kill Damon for killing Lexi. Phoebe said nothing, as the man scowled down at a groggy Damon.

"Please, don't do this. Don't kill him," Phoebe begged.

The man took out a zippo lighter, and flicked it open.

Phoebe ran the rest of the way, and grabbed him before he could light it, "Don't! You can't kill him!"

"I'm doing you a favor!" he replied, looking confused at her behavior.

"How? By taking away from me what he took from you?" she countered. "Look, I know he's a jerk, and I know that's putting it mildly, but he does not deserve to die."

"He killed Lexi!" replied the man.

"I know I was there!" Phoebe snapped. "But if you kill him, you're no better than he is. Lexi hated Damon for a reason. Several reasons, I'm sure. But she wouldn't want you to turn into him. Playing God with other people's lives. Not caring who you hurt in the process."

The man stared at Phoebe as she spoke, and began to cry. He glared down at Damon, picked him up, and threw him aside.

When he glanced back at Phoebe, she thanked him.

"I didn't do it for you," he replied, before flitting away.

Phoebe ran to Damon. Once he was conscious and well again, they prepared to head back to Mystic Falls. Before leaving, Damon confronts Bree because she betrayed him and set him up. Bree explains that she did it because Lexi was her friend and warns him that her blood is full of vervain but she is still scared of him. Damon tells her that it wasn't so much that she set him up; it was that Phoebe was used as bait, putting her life in danger. In an attempt to save her life, she tells him that Emily's spell book holds the secret to reverse the spell. He apologizes and then rips her heart out.

In Damon's car on the way back to Mystic Falls, Phoebe asks, "So why did you bring me with you?"

"Well, you're not the worst company in the world, Phoebe," replied Damon, trying not to sound too complimentary.

Phoebe gave him a look.

"You should give yourself more credit," he added.

"Seriously?"

"I don't know. You were there in the road all damsel-in-distress like. And I knew it would piss off our siblings. And…you're not the worst company in the world, Phoebe," he repeated, making her smile.

"There's only ever been one person that wasn't bored with my company," said Phoebe.

"You did okay," Damon joked.

Phoebe had a thought, and smiled to herself, "I saved your life."

Damon lifted an eyebrow, and looked at her, "I know."

She narrowed her eyes, "And don't you forget it."

Back in Mystic Falls, Elena finally talks to Stefan asking him the truth and if he was with her because of her resemblance to Katherine. Stefan explains that she is nothing like Katherine and he noticed that before they even met. He reveals to her that he was there the night she had the accident with her parents and that he was the one who saved her. He tried to save her parents as well but it was too late. Since then he'd begun watching her to be sure that she was not Katherine and he figured out how different she was from her. That's when he discovered her twin, Phoebe. She wasn't in the car the night of the accident, so he didn't find out about her, until later.

Elena is shocked and wonders why the two of them look so much like her, and if they are related. Stefan explains that he was wondering the same thing and that her last name (Gilbert) confused him because Katherine's was different (Pierce). He then discovered that Elena and Phoebe are adopted, but he didn't want to start asking people about Katherine's family because it was dangerous. When Phoebe and Damon arrive, the twins exchange stories. Phoebe tells Elena why she went to Georgia, and Elena tells Phoebe what Stefan told her about them being adopted. Once back home, Elena is mad at Jenna for never telling them they were adopted. Jenna is shocked and tries to explain that she promised not to tell but Elena doesn't want to hear her. Phoebe just wants to shower, and sleep after an eventful trip.

Later at the Grill, Alaric sits at the bar, remembering the night his wife died. He had walked into the room to find a vampire drinking from her. He recognizes that vampire as the one who's sitting few feet away from him; Damon.


	12. Unpleasantville

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was originally as long as all the others, but I was really feeling the whole Damon/Phoebe thing and just couldn't stop adding to it. That being said, there's definitely a lot of Damon/Phoebe interaction in here, so those of you rooting for them should be happy with this chapter. :) Thank you guys for all the follows and reviews, and please leave more (reviews). I'm interested in what you guys think so far, or any questions you might have, as well as open to suggestions.
> 
> ENJOY!

Chapter 12: Unpleasantville

A couple of days later, Stefan gives Elena an asortment of jewelry filled with vervain to give to her family and friends for protection, which Phoebe would still decline. She maintained - even after her incident with Logan Fell - that she didn't need any. Elena and Stefan both tried to argue that there was another vampire out there that they should be wary of, but Phoebe only countered that a silly trinket containing vervain wasn't going to deter said vampire from killing her, if it wanted. While Stefan gave the vervain jewelry to Elena, the doorbell rings. Jeremy opens the door for the pizza delivery guy. He invites him in and calls Phoebe to pay him. As the delivery guy walks away, he pulls his hoodie back, revealing that he is the vampire Phoebe hit with her car.

The next morning at the Salvatore House, Damon looks for their dad's journal. Stefan tries to find out why Damon wanted to go to Atlanta, but Damon is mute. He asks him what Bree told him, but Damon won't tell. Stefan later gives him their dad's journal trying, once again, to find out what Damon's after. He tells him that he'll help him to free Katherine, but Damon declines his offer.

Jeremy gets an A for his history paper while Alaric tries to see if Jeremy believes in the stories about vampires. He then asks if he could read the source Jeremy used. The journal. Jeremy gives it to him. Elena gives Caroline a necklace with vervain and asks about her relationship with Matt. Caroline feels awkward and tells her that they are just friends but Elena reassures her that she is fine if she wants to date him.

Meanwhile at the Grill, Matt gets a job at the Grill as a busboy and Damon approaches Bonnie trying to make amends since he is gonna need her for his plan. Bonnie warns him to stay away from her and the bartender Ben comes to help her get rid of Damon. After spending some time with their respective best friends, the Gilbert twins leave to go shopping. Elena's decade dance outfit is lacking accessories, and she needs Phoebe's help to find some. That and she wants to spend some overdue quality time with her sister.

As the twins are leaving the store, Elena gets a phone call from a stranger. He tells her who he is (the guy Phoebe hit with her car). He implies that he can see the twins, and she spots him across the street. She ushers Phoebe into the car, and the two drive away. Elena informs Stefan about the phone call, and Stefan gives her the Gilbert watch explaining to her how it works.

At school the next day, Matt helps Caroline paint the banner for the decade dance. She asks him what he's wearing to the dance, so they can "color coordinate". Matt tells her he isn't going to the dance, because he has to work. Caroline scoffs at him for having a job, and Matt leaves her alone to finish the banner. He runs into Phoebe on the way to his truck.

"Wow, you look like you just lost a battle with a paintbrush," Phoebe joked.

Matt smirked, "More like I just got scoffed at by Caroline."

"What for?"

"She asked what I was wearin' to the dance, and I told her I couldn't go because I had to work," he explained.

"Aww, man," groaned Phoebe. "I was hoping you'd be my date. Oh well. At least you got the job. Congratulation!"

"Thanks," he replied, with a smile. "Anyway, she basically turned her nose up at the fact that I'm a busboy."

"That sounds like Caroline," Phoebe admitted.

"Yeah," agreed Matt.

"But you shouldn't get too upset about it. Caroline never thinks before speaking. There's also not many kids our age that have to work to pay the bills, because their parents don't; so they don't understand. Caroline is one of them," she added.

"You make a good point," he admitted. "Though I never thought I'd see the day when you defended Caroline Forbes."

"Oh, make no mistake, I still don't like her. But you and Elena do, so if I can help with any problems I will," she explained.

"I appreciate it," he said, smiling. "So since I'm not able to be your date does that mean you aren't going to the dance anymore?"

"I already have an outfit, so I'm gonna go for a little bit, at least," she replied. She looked like she was thinking it over, "Maybe...probably..."

Matt chuckled at her indecision.

"If I go, it won't be for long. You know how I feel too awkward at social gatherings without you," she said.

"Oh I know," he replied, still laughing to himself. "Wanna hang out after my shift? That is, if you're not too tired from all that dancing."

"Ha!" Phoebe laughed. "Oh yeah. There isn't a dance card big enough for all the dancing that I'll be doing."

Matt laughed with her, "So I'll see you after the dance?"

"Definitely," she confirmed.

Anna finds Jeremy at the Grill and he thanks her for her help regarding his history paper. Anna keeps talking about vampires, but Jeremy still doesn't believe in the stories. Anna tries to ask him out, but Jeremy leaves for the school dance. She later goes to the school dance herself and finds him, asking him for Jonathan's journal. Jeremy says that he lent it to Alaric, something that makes Anna upset and her face change, revealing she is a vampire. Jeremy notices, but she tells him it's nothing and she walks away.

At the Gilbert house, the twins return home to get ready for the decade dance. As the walk into the kitchen, Jenna informs Phoebe of their car, "Spoke to the insurance company. Car's totaled. You can keep using mine for now."

"Thanks, but I'll just get rides from Matt," said Phoebe.

Jenna nodded in acknowledgement.

"So you're coming to the dance?" Elena asked her. It was more of an observation of her clothing choice, than an actual question.

"Yeah," answered Jenna, smile playing on her lips. "Alaric asked me to help chaperone."

"Really?" asked Phoebe. She couldn't help but be happy for her aunt.

Before Jenna could gush to Phoebe about her sort of date, Elena spoke up with an attitude, "Why didn't you tell me, Jenna?"

Phoebe turned on her sister in a way she normally wouldn't have done, "Why are you so upset about this? Are you really so ungrateful for the life you've been given, that you need to know what kind of better life you could have had?"

Elena was so surprised by her sister's outburst, she was unable to form a response. Thankfully, Jenna spoke up, "It's okay, Phoebe. Your mom was going to tell you both, eventually. I never thought I'd have to."

Both twins looked at her and waited for her to continue.

"Your dad was about to leave the office on night when this girl showed up. She was 16, a runaway, and about to give birth. He delivered her babies, and he gave her a place to stay, but a few days later, she disappeared. And there you both were," Jenna explained. She looked at both of the girls and added, "Your parents were trying so hard to have a baby. I-It just wasn't happening. All Miranda ever wanted was to be a mom."

"Well, why were my parents' names on the birth certificate?" Elena asked.

"Your dad was a doctor, Elena. He took care of it. They didn't want to lose you two, so they kept it quiet, told as few people as possible, but if anyone ever wanted proof, they had documentation," Jenna informed her.

"What else do you know about her?" Elena asked, curiously.

"Just her name," she admitted. "Isobel."

At that point it was understood that the conversation was over, and Phoebe went upstairs, while Jenna headed to the dance to meet up with Rick. Phoebe decided to go to the dance, for two reasons. For one thing she'd gone trough the trouble of putting an amazing outfit together, and didn't want it to go to waste. The other reason was she wanted to show Matt her outfit, when she met up with him at the Grill. The first thing she did was her makeup. She gave herself Marilyn Monroe's bedroom eyes, which isn't easy to do for a person that hardly ever wears makeup; but she managed. After that she sat on the floor in front of her mirror, and did her hair. She did the front and sides in victory rolls, with the rest still down. Phoebe always tried to wear her hair down for formal occassions, since she normally wore it up. Her hair parting was on the left side of her head, so she put a big red bow in her hair on the left side to fill it out.

Satisfied with the finished product, she got to her feet. She turned around to find someone sitting on her window seat. Startled, she gasped and jumped. Seeing it was only Damon, she sighed with relief, "Jesus..."

"Nope. Just me," Damon replied, smirking.

"You do know there's a vampire out there that wants to kill me, right?" asked Phoebe, rhetorically.

"Not gonna happen," he replied, dismissively.

"Tell him that," she said.

"I will. Right before I rip his head off," he replied. He wasn't joking.

The two shared a look before Phoebe broke away, "So what brings you by?"

"I came to ask you to be my date to the dance," he joked.

Phoebe perfectly imitated Damon's suspicious face, "Right. Why are you really here?"

"Cute," he chuckled. He got to his feet, and pulled a small box out of his jacket pocket. He joined her by the mirror, and said, "I got you something."

Phoebe accepted the box, skeptically, "You got me something?"

"It's no big deal," he shrugged. "It's just a 'thank you' for saving my life in Atlanta."

Phoebe opened the box. Inside was a locket shaped like a clamshell.

"I put vervain in it for you," he added. "I figured it was about time you had your own vervain necklace, rather than that vial you never carry. Which is now gone, so that makes this gift all the better."

Phoebe smiled, "Thank you, Damon. It's beautiful."

"No, _thank you_ ," he corrected. "That's what it's for, remember?"

"Right," she replied. She picked it up to look at it better. "So why a seashell?"

"Because," he began, taking the necklace from her. He gestured for her to turn around. She faced the mirror, and carefully lifted her hair. Damon put the necklace around her neck as he continued, "You said the Little Mermaid was your fanorite movie growing up, and that Ariel was your favorite Disney princess."

"I can't believe I told you that," Phoebe groaned, embarrased. Her tone quickly changed to surprised, "I can't believe you remember that."

"Well you told me because you were drunk," he replied, clasping the necklace.

Phoebe dropped her hair, and studied her reflection.

"And I remembered because I was paying attention," he finished, looking at her in the mirror.

Phoebe noticed, and turned to face him. Their faces were only inches apart. Phoebe felt her heart begin to race, and her stomach fill with butterflies. She wanted to walk away, but found herself unable to move. She decided to try saying something. Maybe then he'd break away.

"Thank you. I love it," she said.

Damon smirked down at her, and replied softly, "Don't mention it."

Damon stayed where he was, and Phoebe felt herself being pulled further into Damon's eyes. What she didn't know was Damon was just as stuck as she was. Something that he had never before experienced, and had no clue what to do to get unstuck. They were both thankful when Elena burst into the room.

"Phoebe, the watch is-," Elena began. She stopped short, when she saw how close the two were to each other. She eyed them suspiciously, "What's going on?"

"Phoebe asked for my help on her outfit," Damon lied.

"You?" Elena questioned, skeptically.

"Well, I was around for the 50s," he noted.

Elena seemed to buy the lie. Mostly because Phoebe wasn't saying anything different. She turned to her sister, "Sorry I barged in. The compass was going crazy, so I thought it might be our mystery vampire."

"It's okay, I understand. But it's just Damon," Phoebe replied.

Elena glanced at Damon, and he gave her a sarcastic smile. Elena left her sister's room, and went downstairs. Not long after, she was attacked by the twins' mystery vampire. She screamed, and Damon came to her aid. After chasing him off, and the arrival of Stefan, the four plan to go to the dance together to catch the vampire.

Phoebe returns to her room to finish getting ready. She removes her glasses, and puts in her contacts, being careful not to mess up her makeup. Just like in the case of her hair, she prefered to do the opposite from her everyday appearance for formal occassions. She then puts on her dress, shoes, and jewelry. The dress was tight at the top, flared out at the bottom, and tied around the back of the neck. It was black with little, white polka dots on it; and had a wide red belt around the waist. Her shoes were black, wing tips with a black buckle across the top of the foot. The rest of the shoe was white with black pola dots, while the bottom of the shoe was red with white polka dots. The jewelry was just a simple pair of matching earings. Phoebe did one last check in the mirror, then headed downstairs.

Damon was waiting at the base of the stairs. He was looking at his phone, as she came down, "Stefan and Elena are waiting in the car."

"Okay. Let's go," Phoebe replied. She stepped off the stairs, and grabbed her coat.

Damon looked up from his phone, and did a double take at her. He examined her with his eyes in awe.

Phoebe glanced over as she put on her coat. She began trying to figure out what he was staring at, "What? Is something wrong?"

"No, you're fine. You look...," began Damon. He stopped, cleared his throat, andgestured to the door. "You ready to go?"

Phoebe smiled to herself, as Damon opened the door for her. He did the same with the car door, once they reached it.

Upon their arrival at the dance, the group splits up. The brothers search for the vampire, and the twins meet up with Bonnie and Caroline.

"Having fun?" inquired Elena.

"No, but this took about two hours, so I'm at least staying half of that," replied Caroline, referring to her outfit.

The girls laughed.

Bonnie noticed Damon, "What's Damon doing here?"

The other three girls followed her gaze. Phoebe was the one to answer, "He wanted to come, so he's my date. But I promise he'll behave."

"So what, are you two like a thing now?" asked Caroline, somewhat disgusted.

Elena answered for her sister, "No, but if I'm gonna be with Stefan, then I have to learn to tolerate Damon. It's not like I can kill him."

"There's a thought," mummbled Bonnie.

"Mmm. I'll help," added Caroline.

Phoebe rolled her eyes, descretely, as she turned back to look at Damon. He was still looking around, so she allowed herself to keep staring. Stefan came over to the table, and took Elena to dance. Phoebe stayed with Bonnie and Caroline, because she had nowhere else to go.

"So, is this all they're going to play tonight? 50s songs remade by modern artists?" Phoebe asked, unimpressed.

"Well, it _is_ a 50s themed dance, Phoebe. What else would they play?" replied Caroline. Her tone implied that Phoebe was somehow clueless to the night's theme.

Phoebe wanted to retort with something so clever it made Caroline feel like a complete idiot, but resisted the urge. If she did that, then she would probably say something to Elena, and she didn't feel like being scolded by her sister. Or worse, the next time Phoebe came up in a conversation with Matt, Caroline might try to get Matt to stop spending so much time with her or something. Even though Phoebe was certain Matt would choose her over Caroline anyday, she still didn't want to put Matt in that situation. So she forced a smile, and replied, "You're right. Nevermind."

Bonnie could tell Phoebe's smiled was forced, "You okay?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" Phoebe replied.

"Well Damon is your date, for one," said Caroline.

"It's not Damon," said Phoebe, trying to keep her annoyance out of her tone. "I was just hoping they'd play actual 50s songs."

"Why?" asked Bonnie.

"Because my favorite song came out in 1959, and I've always wanted to dance to it," Phoebe explained.

"Maybe they'll play a cover of it. Has it ever been redone?" asked Bonnie.

"Loads of times, but the original is still the best," answered Phoebe.

"So ask them to play it. I'm sure if you ask-," began Bonnie.

"They won't play it. Or if they do, then no one's gonna wanna hear it. Sleepwalk is an instrumental," said Phoebe, cutting Bonnie off.

Caroline made a face, "Yeah, we're definitely not playing that."

Bonnie gave Phoebe an apologetic smile, and Caroline changed the subject. Damon, who had been listening with his vampire hearing, sought out to make Phoebe's night. He compelled the DJ to play the original version of Sleepwalk. Phoebe recognized the song within the first few seconds, and her face lit up.

Bonnie noticed Phoebe's reaction to something, and asked, "What is it?"

"It's the song I was talking about. Sleepwalk. They're playing sleepwalk," Phoebe answered, excitedly.

"Quick, go ask someone to dance," encouraged Bonnie. Caroline did the same.

"Who?" asked Phoebe. "I'm just a wallflower. No one dances with wallflowers."

Before either of the girls could give a reply, Damon walked up to the table, "Hello, ladies."

"What do you want, Damon?" snapped Bonnie.

"I'm glad you asked," he beamed, unphased by her attitude. "I'm in the mood to dance, and I was wondering-"

Bonnie cut him off, "Forget it."

"Yeah, why don't you go ask one of the wallflowers?" added Caroline. "Maybe one of them might be desperate enough to dance with you."

"Actually, it was the wallflower I was addressing," said Damon, looking at Phoebe.

"Me?" Phoebe questioned.

"Is there another wallflower here, who's favorite sonng is Sleepwalk?" he asked.

Bonnie and Caroline looked at Phoebe, then turned back to Damon. They both prepared to tell him to go to hell, but Phoebe spoke up first.

"I'd love to," she said, more eagerly than she'd meant to. Damon took her hand, and lead her out to the dance floor, ignoring the looks from Bonnie and Caroline. Damon took her right hand in his left, and wrapped his right arm around her waist. Phoebe rested her left hand on his shoulder, and the two began to dance.

"Well, it looks like we're _finally_ having that dance you promised me," Phoebe teased, with a smile.

Damon smiled and rolled his eyes. He ignored her jab and moved on, "So how can a song decades older than you be your favorite song? Where did you hear it?"

"You ever what a show called Quantum Leap?" Phoebe asked.

Damon nodded, "Mhmm."

"Well, while other kids were watching cartoons, I was watching Quantum Leap reruns. On some of Sam's leaps into the 50s you can hear Sleepwalk playing in the background. They also played it on some of the leaps into the 60s, because Santo and Johnny remade it in the late 60s," she rambled.

Damon just smiled. Somehow, he was able to keep up. He found her ramblings oddly adorable.

"Anyway, I fell in love with it the moment I heard it. My dad bought me the vinyl for my birthday. I played that thing so much...," she trailed off. Then a realization hit her. "Wait a minute. Were you eavesdropping?"

Damon's smiled changed to feigned shock, "Me? Never!"

Phoebe gave him a look that said she knew he was lying. She wasn't mad though. She found the gesture very...sweet.

"Okay, maybe a little," he admitted.

"That's why you called me a wallflower," she noted.

"No, I called you a wallflower because you are a wallflower," he correcter her.

Phoebe's face fell.

Damon took notice, and explained what he meant, "You stand to the side and observe everyone and everything, whether they notice you or not. And you notice things that most people don't pay any mind to."

"You just described a wall _fly_ not a wall _flower_ ," she said.

"Yes, but flies are ugly. Flowers are beautiful," he told her. He dipped her to the end of the song, and looked her in the eyes, "You're a wall _flower_ , Phoebe, not a wall _fly_."

Phoebe could tell he meant what he said, though she said nothing in return. She only stared back into his blue eyes, as he raised her back up. The next song began, but the two only stood there holding one another. Phoebe noted to herself what a big cliche this was. The two of them locked in a stare, motionless, while everyone around them carried on. She hated this time-stopping feeling, and wanted desperately for it to end. But how? She had lost the ability to speak, or move. She was also losing the ability to think of anything, except kissing Damon. To her relief, the yearbook photographer shot an image of the pair. The flash snapped her out of it, and she looked at the girl.

"You two make an adorable couple," she gushed, before walking away.

Phoebe watched her leave, and called, "No, actually, we're not..."

Damon, still staring at Phoebe, asked her, "Do you want something to drink?"

"Sure," replied Phoebe, with a nervous smile. She watched Damon, as he walked away.

While at the punch table, Damon met Alaric Saltzman. Bonnie and Caroline decided to leave the dance and go to the Grill, because neither one was having fun at the dance. Damon then returned to Phoebe, with her drink, and they continued to have a good time.

At the Grill, Caroline teases Bonnie about her crush on Ben McKittrick. Matt overhears the things Caroline says, and becomes insulted once again. He avoids her for a while, but she confronts him on it when Bonnie leaves her to ask Ben out.

"Seriously?" asked Caroline.

Matt stopped, "Do you need somethin'?"

"Are you mad at me or something?" Caroline asked.

"No, Care. I'm not mad. I-," Matt began.

Caroline cut him off, "Well, then why are you being so weird?"

"I'm not. I'm working," he told her.

"You're avoiding," Caroline accused.

"No. I have a table to clean. You know, that's the kind of thing that washed-up jocks do to make a living," Matt replied, with an attitude. He walked away before Caroline could say anything more.

Back at the dance, Noah, the Gilbert twins' vampire stalker, arrives at the dance. Anna spies him, and warns him to stay away from the twins. They're not Katherine, and the Salvatores are with them. Noah doesn't hear her and continues his play with the twins. Anna tells him that she didn't get the journal yet but she knows where it is. Elena spots Noah and tells Stefan. He leaves her to follow him, but Stefan is following the wrong guy. Noah gave his hoodie to a teenage boy. He realizes that he was tricked to leave Elena alone, and runs back to her. Meanwhile, Noah calls Elena and asks her to take her sister and exit through the side door, otherwise he'll kill Jeremy. Elena follows his instructions. The twins try to run away, but Noah catches up to them in the cafeteria. The two of them fight him until Stefan and Damon arrive.

Noah tries to escape, but Stefan stops him. The brothers ask him what he wants. Noah explains that he is after Elena and Phoebe because they look like Katherine. Damon and Stefan are surprised to know they were not the only ones Katherine played with. They don't remember Noah, but he remembers them. He gives them information that they need to get into the tomb. They can find more info in Jonathan Gilbert's journal. They ask him who he is working with but he won't tell, so Stefan kills him. Anna watches the whole scene between the brothers and Noah, but she hides as she hears Alaric approaching. Alaric sees the moment Stefan kills Noah and he walks away like he knows nothing. Damon follows him and compels him to tell him what he knows. Alaric, even compelled, lies to him and Damon walks away. It is revealed that Alaric was holding vervain in his hand. Damon and Stefan discuss what happened and suspect that Noah is not alone. Stefan tells Damon that he knows he is looking for Emily's journal (the Grimoire as Noah said) to reverse the spell and he repeats his offer to help him free Katherine as long as he is there and the other vampires stay behind. Damon trusts him and accepts his offer. Stefan tells Elena about his promise to Damon later at home but he informs her that his promise was a lie.

Back at the Grill, Caroline tries apologising to Matt, "Look, I said something stupid. I'm sorry, but I wasn't even talking about you."

"Yes, you were, Caroline," said Matt, still cleaning. "Ben could easily be me. We're just alike."

"That's not true. Are you seriously mad about this?" she asked.

Matt didn't answer.

"Matt, you know me. Okay, I say stupid things without thinking, and then I have to apologize and take it back, and...I'm a terrible, awful person, but I'm working on it," Caroline explained.

Matt cut her off, "Look, can we just not do this right now?"

"Ok," she replied, confused. "When do you get off?"

Matt sighed with annoyance, "Look, this thing we've got, it's nice, and it feels really good, and I know you wanna take the next step."

"How do you know that?" asked Caroline. It was her turn to cut him off. "Have you even asked me?"

Without even thinking about it, Matt blurted out, "I'm in love with Phoebe."

Caroline's face became a combination of surprised and sad.

"I mean, I think I am. I'm pretty sure. I just don't know how to ask her out, after dating her sister. I don't want her to think that I'm askin' her out because she looks just like Elena. And I'm afraid to ruin our friendship," Matt rambled. "Look, I do like you, Caroline, but if we go there, then it could mess things up, and you and I might lose this. And aside from Phoebe, this is the only good thing I've got goin' for me right now. So if it doesn't work, or you can't handle me being friends with Phoebe, then I'll just end up hurting you, and I don't wanna do that."

"Well, big problem, Matt, because you took the next step all by yourself, and you played the whole thing out in your head, and you decided to bail before even giving it a shot. So this really great thing that we have, don't worry about losing it, 'cause it's already gone," replied Caroline. She began to leave, but stopped to add, "And as for your precious Phoebe, she's at the dance with Damon right now."

"They're just friends," said Matt.

"Funny. I've never seen 'just friends' look at each other the way they looked at each other," she noted, storming out.

Matt texts Phoebe, asking if she's still going to stop by and hang out. She tells him she's going to call it a night. She mentions their earlier joke about being tired from all the dancing. He didn't want to come across like a jealous boyfriend, so he asked her who she danced with in a more joking manner. She told him Damon was her date, since he couldn't make it. As jealous as he was, he told her he was glad she had fun, and that he'd see her tomorrow.

Meanwhile, Alaric walks Jenna home and asks her out for a date which Jenna accepts. While they are talking, Alaric mentions his wife's name was Isobel and that she was from not far away from Mystic Falls. Jenna looks at him in shock, realizing that his wife is Phoebe and Elena's birth mother.

Matt gets off work and finds Caroline. He kisses her, and agrees to give it a try. However, he warns her that no matter what Phoebe is and will always be his best friend. She's just going to have to accept that. She agrees to try.

Stefan takes Elena and Phoebe home, while Damon takes care of Noah's body. Phoebe takes off her heels and heads to her room, while Stefan makes Elena some tea. When Phoebe got to her room, Damon was sitting on her window seat.

"What are you doing in my room, this time?" she asked. She looked around as though she were searching for signs of him digging through her things.

"I wanted to make sure you were okay, after what happened tonight," he answered.

"Oddly, I'm fine," she began, walking to her closet. She put her shoes away, and finished, "I mean, you'd think that I'd be tired and ready to call it a night, but I'm not."

"It's your adrenaline," he told her.

"I know," she sighed. She thought about something, and then laughed to herself.

Damon noticed, "What's so funny?"

"Normally, people have to drag me kicking and screaming to social gatherings, and I never have any fun while I'm there. I just stand aside, watching people, but tonight...tonight I had fun. And I wish it didn't have to end," she answered.

Damon smiled, stood up, and walked past her to her closet.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Getting you a pair of comfortable shoes," he replied, returning with her low-top chucks.

"Why?" she asked, cautiously. She took the shoes and held them, as she awaited an answer.

"You said you wished the night didn't have to end. I'm going to keep it going for you. Your wish is my command," said Damon.

"We aren't taking another road trip, are we?" she asked. "Not that I would have a problem with that, I would just prefer to have an overnight bag next time."

"We're not taking another road trip. We're just going out to have some more fun," he replied.

Phoebe sat on the bed, and put on her chucks, "Where are we going?"

"It's a surprise. Come on."

As Phoebe finished tieing her laces, she noticed Damon was waiting at the window for her, not the door. "Wait, you want me to climb out of the window?"

"What's wrong with the window?" he asked.

"What's wrong with stairs and a front door?" she countered.

"Well, it's boring, for one."

"Oh yes, because falling and hurting myself is much more exciting," she replied, sarcastically.

"It could be."

"Damon!"

"Phoebe!" he mimicked. "Look, nothing is going to happen to you, I promise. You'll be safe with me. I won't let you fall."

Phoebe held up a finger, and walked out of the room. When she came back she was wearing her glasses instead of her contacts. She closed her door, took a deep breathe, and joined him at the window. Damon climbed out first, and reached his hand back in through the window for Phoebe. She took his hand, and he coached her along as he helped her out onto the roof. Once there he pulled her in close, and held her tight. She clung to him for dear life. He continued to asure her that she'd be fine. Phoebe wanted to close her eyes, but Damon told her not to. She complied, and he jumped to the ground. Once on the ground, Damon asked her if she was alright. She smiled and nodded.

"Good," said Damon. He bent down, and picked up her legs.

"What are you doing?" she asked, wrapping her arms around his neck. He was now holding her bridal-style.

He grinned down at her, "I didn't drive here."

Phoebe opened her mouth to protest, but it was too late. Damon took off flitting, and stopped at the Salvatore House. They stopped on the front porch, and Damon put her down to open the door.

Phoebe gave him a confused look, which he couldn't see with his back to her, "This is your big surprise? We're gonna hang out at your house?"

Damon turned back to her slowly, "Okay, A, never said it was a _'big'_ surprise. I just said it was a surprise. B, This is just a quick stop. C, so what if this was the plan? What do you have against a quiet night in?"

"Oh, I have nothing against a quiet night in. I love them. You just strike me as the kind of guy to take a girl out for fun," Phoebe replied.

"I am perfectly capable of doing both," said Damon.

"Without the staying in part involving sex?" Phoebe asked.

Damon's eyes narrowed, and Phoebe's expression became innocent.

"Well, without the sex the night just becomes significantly less interesting, but yes. I am capable of having a night in, _without_ having sex," Damon told her.

Phoebe made a face that said "ok then", and shrugged her shoulders. Damon Told her to wait where she was, that he'd be back shortly. She did as he said, and he was indeed back very quickly. When he returned, he was carrying a large box.

"What's that?" Phoebe asked, pointing to the box.

"It's a surprise," Damon replied, openning the door for her.

"Is it a _'big'_ surprise?" she asked, cheekily.

Damon gave her another look, and she gave him another innocent smile. Neither of them said anything, as they walked to his car, though Damon was unable to contain the smile rapidly spreading across his lips. Phoebe was thankful for taking the car. She really didn't like the whole flitting thing. As he always did, Damon openned the car door for her, and closed it behind her. He put the box in the backseat, sat in the driver's seat, and drove away from the Boarding House.

Meanwhile, Anna stalks Ben while he is closing the Grill. She attacks him but he fights back revealing that he is also a vampire. It's revealed that Ben also works with Anna and Noah and his job is to get close to Bonnie. Anna and Ben kiss and walk away together.

Damon took her back to town - where no one was anywhere around - and parked in front of a random store. Phoebe openned her mouth to question why they were there, as Damon helped her out of the car; but Damon quickly stopped her by holding his index finger to her lips. Phoebe looked at him surprise, but quickly narrowed her eyes at him. Damon, on the other hand, lifted his eyebrows, as he moved his finger slightly off of her lips - testing to see if she'd still try to ask questions. When she didn't try, he moved his hand away from her face to take hold of her the way he had when they dropped from her window. Gripping her and the box firmly - though her more than the box, because she was more important - Damon jumped up onto the roof of the building.

He made sure she was alright before moving away to mess with his box. Phoebe took in a breath to try speaking again, but Damon shot her a look over his shoulder. To which Phoebe replied by placing her own index finger over her lips, and scrunching up her face like a child. Damon smirked to himself, as he finished with his mystery box. Phoebe heard music coming from it, and - once Damon had moved away from it - saw that it was an old vinyl player. Damon had put on a record containing classic 50s songs.

Phoebe felt her childish pout turning into a big smile, as Damon walked towards her. When he reached her side, she still had her finger on her lips. Damon looked at her like she was silly, and then removed her hand from her face. They took hold of each other as they had back at the school, and began dancing, slowly.

"May I speak now?" Phoebe asked.

"Yes," Damon sighed, playfully.

"What are we doing here? You do know all of the shops are closed, right? We aren't going to be breaking and entering, are we? Why are we on the roof? Are you going to tell me what that box is now?" Phoebe rattled off.

Damon waited for her to finish, "Really?"

"Hey, they were questions that needed to be asked. You wouldn't let me ask them when they were actually appropriate, so it's not my fault they're late in being asked," Phoebe defended.

"But you already know the answers to those questions," he pointed out.

"So?"

Damon rolled his eyes and shook his head, while maintaining the grin on his face. As the next song began, Phoebe put her head on his shoulder. It wasn't until after she did this that they both realized what song was playing. It was 'Put Your Head On My Shoulder' by Paul Anka. Neither said anything about the irony of it all, but they did smile to themselves.

For the rest of the night, they danced and talked, losing themselves in the fantasy of it all. Damon had tried several times to call it a night, when Phoebe began yawning, but she refused to let the night end. She prolonged it as long as she could, but by 4 a.m. she was falling asleep on her feet. At that point, Damon officially called it. Though she continued to protest, Damon picked her up and carried her home. He removed her shoes and glasses and tucked her in, before leaving her to sleep. If she'd have had the energy, Phoebe probably would've made him stay with her a while. Something about being in his arms made her feel as though nothing could go wrong. That she was safe there, no matter what. Those were the last thoughts she had, as she drifted off to sleep.


	13. Children of the Damned

Chapter 13: Children of the Damned

In 1864, Katherine stops a horse-drawn carriage and asks for help because her "husband" has been attacked. A man is laying on the road and one of the two men from the carriage goes to help him. Katherine attacks the one left at the carriage and then the other one. Her "husband" gets up and it's revealed to be Damon who is still human. Katherine is teaching him how a vampire acts.

In the Present day – roughly 3 or 4 days after the decade dance - Damon enters Stefan's room without caring he is with Elena. He wants to start looking for Emily Bennett's grimoire and since Stefan promised to help him, that means Elena is also helping. He asks her to find Jonathan Gilbert's journal that is the key of where the grimoire is. Damon leaves the happy couple to wake his Gilbert twin, who is sleeping in her favorite room of the house: the library.

Phoebe woke up to the smell of coffee brewing a few feet away in the kitchen. She was working on building up the will power to get up and get the coffee, when she noticed the smell getting stronger.

" _That must mean it's getting closer, which means someone is bringing it to me,"_ she thought. She listened closely for sounds of someone walking into the library. She heard what sounded like dishes rattling, and someone swear under their breath. Recognizing the voice as Damon, she smiled to herself. Hearing him come closer, her smiled vanished, and she pretended to still be asleep. She heard Damon set something down on the coffee table then the room went silent for a moment.

"I know you're awake," said Damon.

"...no I'm not," Phoebe replied, keeping her eyes closed.

"Yes, you are," he told her.

"How do _you_ know?" she challenged.

"You mean aside from the fact that you're arguing with me right now?" he questioned.

"People talk in their sleep all the time. Matt's mom once dated a guy that had full conversations in his sleep...he also giggled a lot," she argued.

Damon rolled his eyes, though Phoebe couldn't see, because her eyes were still closed.

"I saw that."

"Saw what? Your eyes are closed," said Damon.

"Just because I can't physically see you roll your eyes, doesn't mean I don't know when you do it," she replied. She openned her eyes to look up at his blurry outline.

Damon sighed, and handed her her glasses. She put them on, as she sat up on the couch. Once she was able to see, she took notice of what Damon had brought it. He had brought her coffee on a serving tray, complete with cream and sugar.

Damon noticed the surprise on her face and explained, "I didn't know how you like your coffee."

Phoebe smiled up at him, "Thanks."

Damon gave her a nod in repsonse, as she fixed her coffee. Though he was discrete about it, he watched how she made her coffee so he would know in the future. As part of his act, he had picked up a book of some kind from the table and began flipping through it. When he glanced down - to look as though he were actually looking through it - he noticed it was Phoebe's sketch journal. This one was full of newer events, but it had barely been sketched in at this point. The most recent sketch was of Damon in 1864, wearing his Confederate Army uniform. He smiled to himself, "These are very good. Where'd you learn to draw?"

Phoebe looked up, and for the first time noticed what he was looking at. Her face flushed, "I never had any special training. Just the usual art classes every kid has in elementery school."

"You mean, no one encouraged you?" he asked.

"Well, Matt encouraged me to keep with it, but for the most part I just started doodling because it's the only way I can really express myself," she answered. "I'm no good with words."

Damon put her journal back down on the table, "Words are overrated. You always have to know exactly what you want to say, but with images...images are open to interpretation. Images can convey the confusion you're feeling about something. They can allow you to take a step back and look at the possibilities."

Phoebe just stared back at him in awe. It was like he was in her head. Like he really understood her. Damon stared back at her, which made her begin to feel uncomfortable. Rather than continue to sit there awkwardly, Phoebe decided to change the topic, "So, you were in the Confederate Army?"

Damon gave a small laugh at her uncomfortableness, "Yes, I was."

"Stefan said you deserted to be with Katherine," said Phoebe. "Is that true?"

Damon shrugged, "I'd like to think I'd have left anyway."

"How come?" she inquired. She quickly added, "I-if you don't mind me asking."

"It okay. You can ask," Damon asured her. "I never agreed with the South, and I hated fighting for them."

"Then why join?"

"My father," he replied simply. "He ordered me to join, and since I didn't want to diappoint him, I did it."

Phoebe smiled, "I wish I could've known you then. Before you met Katherine."

Damon twitched a smile, "So do I."

Back in 1864, Damon is with Katherine when Emily enters the room and announces that Pearl is here to see Katherine. Katherine meets with Pearl, who tells her that she worries about her being with both Salvatore brothers. Also that they know their vampire secret. She then gives Katherine an elixir made of vervain and informs her that people are beginning to drink it, because they suspect vampires are in Mystic Falls. Pearl wants to move to another town but Katherine's not ready. While they are talking, Pearl's daughter passes by and it's revealed that is none other than Anna.

In present day, Anna calls Jeremy trying to arrange a date with him, while Ben is getting ready for his date with Bonnie. Meanwhile, at the Gilbert house, Elena and Stefan talk about Damon as Elena is looking for Jonathan's journal. Jeremy shows up and tells them that he gave the journal to Alaric.

Back in 1864, Stefan and Damon's father, Giuseppe, is a vampire hunter and promises his fellow hunters that both of his boys will help them. He later talks to his sons about their plan and he asks for their help. When their father walks away, Stefan says that if they talk to him about Katherine, they can convince him not to kill her. Damon doesn't believe that and he makes Stefan promise that he won't tell. Stefan, despite his promise, tries to talk to his father denying though that he knows any vampires, but his father figures out that he is lying and spikes his drink with vervain. Later, Stefan is with Katherine who tries to feed on him but because of the vervain, she faints. Giuseppe enters the room and asks Stefan to call the sheriff. Stefan tries to change his father's mind but can't. They take Katherine away to burn her with the other vampires.

In the Present day, Alaric reads Jonathan's journal at the school, while Anna is watching him. Alaric hears something and calls to see if anyone is there. When he doesn't get any response, he goes to his locker and gets a gun that shoots wooden stakes. He returns to the classroom and finds Stefan there. He shoots him, but Stefan catches the stake before it hits him. Alaric tries to reload but Stefan stops him and takes the gun.

Elena, who is there with her boyfriend, asks Alaric to sit so they can talk and promises they won't hurt him. As a sign of good faith, Stefan gives Alaric his gun back. Alaric is confused but he trusts them and he tells them why he is in Mystic Falls. He admits that he witnessed a vampire, Damon, killing his wife but Damon had to hear him and he disappeared along with his wife's body. Stefan tells him that if he is here for revenge it won't end good for him and he offers to help him. He asks where the journal is and Alaric points the desk where he left it but the journal is not there anymore.

Anna got the journal and now she reads it to find where the grimoire is while Ben leaves for his date with Bonnie. Later, Ben tries to fish info from Bonnie about Elena and unsuspected Bonnie tells him that the two of them are like sisters and that she would die for her. Bonnie, decides to give it a chance and she kisses Ben. The moment she does, though, she senses evil and pulls back. She acts like nothing happened and tells him that she needs to go to the bathroom. Ben realizes that Bonnie is suspecting him so he follows her to the bathroom and kidnaps her.

In the meantime, Damon is at the Gilbert house cooking and talking with Phoebe, while Jeremy and Jenna play video games in the living room. Phoebe is setting the table, when Damon 'accidentlly' bumps into her. She laughs, "Don't do that."

"Do what?" he asked, innocently.

"You know what," she told him. "That move was deliberate."

"Well, yeah, I was deliberately trying to...get to the sink," replied Damon. He had to think about that response.

"Mhmm."

"So, where are our siblings?" They're missing family night, which I am enjoying immensely," he asked, looking down at her. Phoebe was leaning over the stove to smell the food, which smelled amazing. But then what do you expect from a man who's had nearly 200 years to perfect his cooking skills?

"They'll be here," she asured him.

Damon became more serious, "Is it real?"

"Is what real?" Phoebe asked, confused.

"This renewed sense of brotherhood. Can I trust him?"

Phoebe looked up into his eyes, "Yes, you can trust him."

Damon looked away, "You know, there was a time when I trusted him more than anyone."

"What changed?"

"He told our father that Katherine was a vampire, because he foolishly thought he would understand, but he didn't," he replied.

Phoebe's eyes fell to the floor, "Well, if you won't trust him, then trust me. I wouldn't lie to you."

"I just want her back. I'm sure you can understand that," he told her.

"Yes, I do," Phoebe mumbled, returning to the table.

As the night continues, Damon and Jeremy play video games, and Jeremy tells him about Anna. While in the kitchen, Jenna and Phoebe talk about Damon.

"So, Elena tells me you and Damon have been spending a lot of time together, lately," noted Jenna.

Phoebe glanced over at Damon, then back to Jenna, "So? We're friends."

Jenna leaned in closer to Phoebe, and lowered her voice, "He is ridiculously hot!"

Phoebe's face flushed, as she shushed her aunt.

"I'm sorry, but he is!" said Jenna, in the same hushed voice. It didn't matter, Damon was listening to every word. "How can you be 'just friends' with someone that hot?"

"Because he's unavailable," Phoebe answered.

Jenna looked over at Damon, "For now."

Phoebe gave her aunt a look, "I doubt it. He and his...girlfriend have been together for a long time."

"I don't see her here, with him," noted Jenna.

"They're separated, right now," said Phoebe. She saw Jenna gearing up to argue, and cut her off, "It's not by choice. Circumstances forced them apart, and now they're trying to be reunited after a long time."

Jenna gave Phoebe a look, "That's worse. If they've been separated for a long time, then they've both changed. They aren't the same people that fell in love, however long ago. Trust me, that reuniting is gonna be short-lived."

Phoebe rolled her eyes, and shook her head in defeat. She was assuming – and correctly so – that Damon was listening in, and didn't want to talk about this within his hearing range. She walked upstairs to her room, and began texting Matt. He was on his lunch break at work, so he called her. As they talked about nothing in particular, Stefan and Elena arrived downstairs. They tell Damon about someone taking the journal from Alaric, before they got there. Damon wants to know who else wanted the journal, and so asks Jeremy about it. He tells Damon that the Anna chick he was telling him about was asking for it. Curious to see who Anna is, Damon takes Jeremy to the Grill to meet up with Anna; who he then recognizes as Pearl's daughter.

While Damon is off to track Anna, Stefan tells Elena that he has a copy of the journal from Alaric. They start reading it, but can't find any mention of where the grimoire might be. Stefan remembers a conversation he had with his father and realizes where the grimoire is; buried with his father. The two of them go to Giuseppe's tomb and start digging it up.

Damon follows Anna at the Grill's restroom and attacks her but she fights him back and they both give up. Anna tells him she was wondering how long it would take him to find her and they go to her motel to talk. She tells Damon that the key to open the tomb is hidden in his dad's journal and asks for his help. Damon takes the journal for himself and walks away telling her that he works alone.

Meanwhile in Phoebe's room, she finishes her conversation with Matt, and returns downstairs to find everyone gone. She asks Jenna where everyone went, but Jenna only know where Jeremy and Damon went – to the Grill. Stefan and Elena just left. Confused, she heads back upstairs to call her sister; but as she passes her sister's room, she notices a stack of papers on her window seat. Phoebe, curiously, examined the pages, reading through them quickly. She thought for a moment, them smiled to herself, "I've got it!"

Phoebe raced to get her shoes back on, grab a jacket, and head out the door. Despite her recent accident with using her phone while driving, she tried calling everyone. Elena, Stefan, and Damon. Unfortunately, they all ignored her calls, assuming she was just wondering where they were.

As Phoebe arrives at her destination, she calls her sister one final time, "Okay, I get it, you're spending some personal time with Stefan. But when you finally decide to call me back, just know I think I found the grimoire."

After hanging up on her sister's voicemail, Phoebe headed for Giuseppe Salvatore's grave, with a shovel in hand. As she closed in on the grave, she decided to call Damon, again; but only reached his voicemail. "Geez, what is with everyone ignoring me tonight? Stefan and Elena won't answer me either. Anyway, I found a copy of Johnathan Gilbert's journal in Elena's room. It didn't say exactly where the grimoire was, but it did say that your dad would take it to his grave. I think he may have literally been buried with the grimoire. I'm on my way there now to see if..."

Phoebe stopped short and dropped her hand to her side, Damon's voicemail still recording. Stefan and Elena had already dug up Giuseppe's grave, and retrieved the grimoire. When they saw Phoebe, they both froze in shock that she was there.

"Phoebe. What are you doing here?" Elena asked her sister.

"I could ask you the same thing," Phoebe countered, looking between the two suspiciously.

Stefan looked as though he were mentally kicking himself, "You found the pages."

"And you aren't here because you got my voicemails," repied Phoebe. She looked around, but didn't see Damon, "You're here without Damon."

"Phoebe-," Elena began.

"Why?" Phoebe snapped. "Why are you here without Damon?"

"Damon can't be trusted to-," Stefan began to explain.

Phoebe cut him off, as well, "Bull! Maybe before he was okay with letting the others out to wreak havok on the town, but not anymore. All he cares about is getting Katherine back."

"You don't know that, Phoebe," said Elena.

"Yes, I do. I know it in my gut. I trust him. He's _earned_ my trust," Phoebe defended.

Before anything further could be said, Damon arrived, "Well, what d'ya know?"

Everyone turned to face him. He looked pissed.

"This is an interesting turn of events," he added.

"I can't let you bring her back. I'm sorry," said Stefan.

"So am I," replied Damon. "For thinking for even a second that I could trust you."

"You are not capable of trust," said Stefan. "The fact that you're here means that you read the journal and you were planning on doing this yourself."

"Of course I was going to do it by myself, because the only one I can count on is me! You made sure of that many years ago, Stefan," Damon retorted, bitterly. He turned to Phoebe next, "But you...you had me fooled."

Phoebe struggled to find the words, "I-I didn't...I-I never...Damon..."

"Phoebe wasn't a part of this, Damon," said Stefan. "She just got here moments before you did."

"Save it," Damon snapped. "So what are you going to do now? Because if you try and destroy that, I'll rip her heart out."

"You won't kill her," said Stefan. He stared his brother down, challengingly.

Damon flits forward, grabbing Phoebe. He holds her tight with his right arm across her neck. Phobe doesn't struggle, because – aside from there being no point – she knows he's just upset, and that he won't actually hurt her. Stefan and Elena both become nervous, because they believe he would hurt Phoebe.

"Okay, fine, Stefan. I won't kill her, but I will do...," said Damon. He stopped talking to feed Phoebe his blood. In this instance she did struggle a little.

"No!" called Elena.

"Give me the book, Stefan, or I'll break her neck," Damon threatened.

"Let her go, first," Stefan demanded.

"The book!" said Damon.

"I'm not going to give this to you, until she is with her sister," replied Stefan.

"The problem is, I no longer trust that you'll give it back," said Damon.

"You just did something that ensures I will," said Stefan.

Damon didn't budge, he just continued to stare his brother down.

"Stefan, please," said Elena.

Stefan tossed the grimoire at Damon's feet, then nodded for him to release Phoebe. Damon looked down at Phoebe and pressed his face to her head, lovingly. Phoebe closed her eyes for a moment listening to his breathe in her ear, and feeling his face against her head. Damon pulled his arm back, and moved his face away. Phoebe opened her eyes, and slowly moved forward. Damon petted her hair lightly and guided her, as she walked towards Stefan and Elena. Elena threw her arms around her sister, and Stefan put a comforting hand on Phoebe's shoulder. Phoebe held her sister in return, but looked back at Damon. The two exhcanged apologetic looks, before Phoebe was taken away.

As Damon picks up the grimoire, he flashes back to the night he lost Katherine. He tried to stop his father, but his father told him that anyone who sides with the vampires will also get killed. Stefan finds Damon and promises to help him save Katherine, but Damon is so mad at him and he accuses him of it being his fault.

Also in 1864, Pearl, in her attempt to run away, runs into Jonathan Gilbert. His watch points to her, indicating that she is a vampire. Pearl is shot and captured while her daughter Anna watches with Emily. Emily promises Anna she will see her mother again. Stefan also sees Emily with Anna hiding, but doesn't say a word to the hunters.

Back at the Gilbert house, Elena asks Stefan to bring her an aspirin and he goes downstairs to ask Jenna for one. Meanwhile, Phoebe quickly brushes her teeth to get Damon's blood out of her mouth. After which, she sneaks downstairs, where Jenna tells Stefan about Jeremy's friend Anna being over. Phoebe sneaks out of the front door, and drives to the Salvatore House. She needed to explain how she didn't betray him. She didn't tell Stefan or Elena, because they would either stop her, or delay her long enough for Damon to do something stupid. Stefan, in a quick flashback to the night when Katherine was captured, remembers Pearl's daughter and realizes who Anna is. He runs upstairs to Elena's room but Elena is gone. He then checks on Phoebe, but she's missing too. Phoebe makes it to the Salvatore House, but before she can knock on the door or ring the bell, she's taken by Ben.


	14. Fool Me Once

Chapter 14: Fool Me Once

Elena wakes up and finds herself in a strange hotel room, with her sister's hand over her mouth. Phoebe gestures for her to be quiet then points out Ben sleeping nearby. The twins try to slowly sneak out, but Ben wakes up. He tries compelling Phoebe, who plays along, then turns to Elena to do the same. As he does, Phoebe flings the door open, burning him with the sun. Unfortunately, Anna is just returning, so the twins' escape is again foiled. Anna then locks them both in the bathroom.

Meanwhile at the Salvatore House, Stefan has looked all over Mystic Falls for Elena and Phoebe, but he cannot find them. He decides to go to Damon for his help.

"Anna took Elena and Phoebe," said a distressed Stefan.

Damon sat in a chair, flipping through the Grimoire, "Yeah, I got that from your 600 voicemails."

"Damon, all night, every single street in town, I've been searching," said Stefan. He sat on the couch next to where his brother sat. "Please. What do you know? You were with Anna. You must know where she's living. Just tell me where I can find her."

Damon pretended to think about it, and then told him, "Nope."

"You know, all I can remember is hating you. There might have been a time when that was different, but your choices have erased anything good about you," Stefan told him. Damon gave his brother a funny look. This was an odd way to be asking him for his help. "But see, I also know that you have just as much reason to hate me. This all began with me. Katherine got taken away from you because of me. And I'm sorry."

Damon looked moved by his brother's speech. He gave Stefan a small smile, "Apology accepted."

"So, please, just tell me what you know," Stefan begged.

Damon closed the grimoire, and got to his feet. Stefan did the same.

"It's Elena, Damon. If you know something...tell me," said Stefan.

Damon sighed, "I mean this sincerely. I hope...Elena...dies."

Stefan stood there a moment, as his brother began walking away. When he found his voice, he called back to him, "And what about Phoebe? What if your blood hasn't passed out of her system, yet?"

Damon stopped, turned back slowly, and replied, "Then at least you know you'll see her again."

Damon leaves Stefan and goes to Bonnie's grandmother, Sheila. He asks for Bonnie, but Sheila knows who he is and tells him to go away.

Back at the motel room, Elena and Phoebe look around the bathroom, trying to find a way out, but have no such luck. They do, however, eventually notice Bonnie lying unconscious in the bathtub.

"Bonnie?" questioned Elena, dropping to her friend's side. Phoebe got a damp rag, and joined her.

"Elena?" Bonnie groaned.

"You're okay," Elena told her. Though it was more for Elena's sake than Bonnie's.

"My head...," groaned Bonnie.

"Here," said Phoebe, handing over the damp cloth for her head.

"Oh, my God! Ben is a -," Bonnie began.

Elena cut her off, "Shh! They can hear."

Phoebe turned the sink faucet on to cover their voices, "We know, Bonnie."

"I was so stupid," said Bonnie.

"No, he had us all fooled," Elena told her.

"What's going on? Why are we here?" Bonnie asked.

Elena looked at Phoebe, and Bonnie did the same. Phoebe thought for a moment, "It might have something to do with the tomb, and Emily's spell book."

"Spell book?" asked Bonnie, confused.

"Damon said that it could be used to open the tomb," Phoebe added.

"Why didn't I know about any of this?" Bonnie asked.

"I was trying to keep you out of it, hoping it would never come to this," answered Elena.

"Come to what?" asked Bonnie.

Phoebe, being a sarcastic person wanted to say something sarcastic to Bonnie for not catching on to the fact that they obviously needed a witch, which is what she is, but bit her tongue.

"They need a witch...to break the spell and let the vampires out," Elena answered.

"No way," said Bonnie.

"I know -," Elena began; She was cut off by Ben entering the room.

As he turned off the water in the sink, Bonnie told him, "You're wasting your time. I'm not gonna help you."

Ben grabbed Elena, "That's why she's here. Motivation for you to behave." The three girls glared at him, but he didn't seem to care.

"Then why am I here?" Phoebe asked him.

Ben ignored her question, but pulled her to her feet, as he told Bonnie, "You know you shouldn't be so desperate. You made it too easy." Ben shoved Phoebe out of the bathroom, "She wants to talk to you."

As Ben shut the door behind him, Anna addressed the twins, "Well, well...Phoebe Gilbert. You and your sister really are Katherine's doppelganger. You two must have the Salvatore boys reeling."

"Who are you?" Phoebe asked.

"I'm Anna. Your brother may have mentioned me? I mean, we're, like, practically dating," answered Anna. Anna gestured for Phoebe to have a seat on the bed.

"Bonnie's not gonna open the tomb," said Phoebe.

"Oh, I think she will," said Anna.

"Who do you want out of that tomb so bad?" Phoebe asked her.

Anna studied her for a moment before answering, "My mother's in there. Katherine couldn't help herself. She just had to toy around with both of the Salvatore brothers. And when she got caught, so did my mother. I watched Jonathan Gilbert take her away."

"You really mean that, don't you?" Anna questioned, surprised. Phoebe just looked at her. "Yeah, I think we'll skip the dead mom bonding, so you can start serving your purpose."

Phoebe rolled her eyes, "I'm not trying to have a chick flick bonding moment, I'm just offering my condolences on you losing your mother because of Katherine. If you don't want it, then just say so."

"Interesting."

"What?"

"You're pretty brave to talk to a vampire like that," said Anna. "Where's that courage when you're talking to humans?"

Phoebe had no answer for that. Miss Observes-All hadn't noticed that before, and had no clue why she could be bold enough to stand up to a vampire, but not enough to stand up to a human. She had spoken to Damon on several occasions in such a manner, but Damon had a soft spot for her, so there was nothing to worry about with him. Anna on the other hand didn't care one bit about Phoebe. If Phoebe crossed the proverbial line with Anna, Anna wouldn't think twice about killing her. Though that made Phoebe a little nervous, she wasn't nearly as nervous as when she was forced to socialize with living people.

Having come up with no answer, Phoebe decided to deflect the topic, "What do you need me for? Bonnie's the witch and Elena is your leverage to make sure that Bonnie does what you want. But what do you need me for?"

"You're about to find out," replied Anna. She picked up Phoebe's phone, began calling someone, and then put the phone on speaker. Phoebe wasn't sure who she was calling, until she heard Damon answer the phone.

"Either Phoebe's cleverly escaped your motel room, or this is Anna," said Damon, nonchalantly.

"She tried, but unfortunately for her I'm not as dumb as Ben," replied Anna. "Here's the thing: you have the Grimoire, but I have a witch. Meet me in the very public town square in 30 minutes, so we can discuss how fun it's going to be to work together, or I'm going to make a meal out of little Phoebe here."

Anna didn't give Damon a chance to respond, before hanging up on him. She walked over to the bathroom door and told Ben she was leaving. Ben, Elena, and Bonnie all joined Phoebe in the main room, as Anna left.

Over at the Salvatore House, Damon debated whether or not to meet Anna. He was still upset with Phoebe for betraying him, but at the same time the fact that he was this hurt meant that she mattered to him. His mental debate was interrupted by a notification on his phone. It was a new voicemail from Phoebe. Damon furrowed his eyebrows curiously at his phone, as clicked on the voicemail. As he listened to the exceedingly long voicemail, he realized that Stefan had told the truth about Phoebe not betraying him. The voicemail was the one Phoebe had let continue recording the previous night, when she found Stefan and Elena at his father's grave without him. When she discovered their betrayal.

While on her way to meet Damon, Anna runs into Jeremy who invites her to a party. Anna tries to avoid him at the beginning but she changes her mind when she hears where the party will be — near the old cemetery. She agrees to go, then resumes her course to meet Damon. As she gets comfy on a bench, Damon appears.

"Got a hot date, or you just plannin' on nabbing the entire Gilbert family?" Damon joked.

"A party, right next to the old cemetery. Isn't that nice of them? Lots of warm bodies for starving vampires," said Anna, ignoring his comment.

Damon decided to do the same, "I told you. I work alone."

"Yeah, so do I. But you're minus a witch and I'm minus a spell book," she re-informed him. "So what d'ya say?"

"Stefan will come after you, you know that," he warned. "For messing with Elena."

"Then he won't be too happy if I kill her when I don't get what I want," she huffed, getting to her feet. "Just as I'm sure you'll be when I kill Phoebe."

Damon winced - though Anna didn't notice – and caved, "When do you wanna do this?"

Anna laughed, "God, it's like 1864 all over again. You Salvatores are truly pathetic when it comes to women."

Damon just glared in response.

"Tonight. After sundown. Meet at the church," Anna instructed, before leaving.

In the meantime, Stefan appears at the motel room and helps Elena, Phoebe, and Bonnie. As they run out of the room, Stefan warns Ben to leave town otherwise - if he sees him again - he will kill him. Anna comes back and finds Ben hiding behind the bed to avoid the sunlight. Ben tells her that Stefan came and he couldn't do anything. Anna realizes that she lost the witch, but she knows that Damon will open the tomb no matter what and she has to be there when that happens.

Bonnie, Phoebe, Elena, and Stefan are at Sheila's house talking about what to do now.

"Well, for now, you need to stay here," said Stefan.

"A prisoner in my own home? I don't think so," retorted Sheila.

"I can't protect you if you leave the house," Stefan told her.

"We'll protect ourselves," said Sheila.

"We need to let him have Katherine back," said Phoebe.

"No! He doesn't deserve to get what he wants," declared Bonnie.

"It's the only thing he's wanted for 150 years – since he came to town – and he's not going to stop, until he gets her back. If you really want him to leave, and not come back, then we need to help him," Phoebe argued.

Everyone went silent for a moment. Sheila was the one to break the silence, "Witches being pulled down by vampire problems. As much as we try to do to stay out of it…I'll open the tomb. You get his girl, but destroy rest with fire. Then this will be all over."

"We still have to get Damon to agree," noted Stefan.

"He already agreed once," said Phoebe.

"Yeah, and then we double-crossed him," Elena retorted. "Now he's angry."

"Firstly, _you_ double-crossed him, not me. Secondly, he's not angry, he's hurt. There's a difference," Phoebe corrected. She looked around at everyone, and then headed out. "I know what I have to do."

Phoebe finds Damon at the Salvatore house and begins trying to convince him to trust her again; while Stefan, Elena, Bonnie, and Sheila wait for them at the church ruins. When Damon sees Phoebe's alright, he's relieved, but he doesn't let on.

"I'm gonna have to change the locks," he joked. "Stage a jailbreak?"

"Stefan," Phoebe replied, simply.

Damon forced a smile, "Oh, brother. Ever the white knight."

"I-I convinced Bonnie t-to help you," Phoebe stammered. She was nervous.

"I doubt that," he replied.

Phoebe took a deep breathe, and then quickly rambled out, "I know you think I betrayed you, but I didn't. I really thought Stefan and Elena wanted to help you. I didn't know they were lying, until I got to your dad's grave and saw them. You showed up shortly after, and drew your own conclusions. But whatever the reasons, we're all on the same side, after the same thing."

"Not interested."

"Damon, I didn'...okay, when you were dating Caroline to get close to Elena – to mess with Stefan - , why didn't you use your compulsion on me?" Phoebe questioned. "I would've been a much better tool for that, than Caroline Forbes."

Damon said nothing.

"You could have used me and compelled me, like you did Caroline, a hundred different times by now, but you never have. In Atlanta - when I kept saying we had to go back – you could've easily compelled me to be more agreeable. I didn't have a vervain necklace yet. You could've compelled me anytime we've ever disagreed, but you never have," Phoebe noted. She removed her seashell locket and placed it on a nearby table. "Ask me if I'm lying. Ask me if I really did betray you."

Damon sighed, and rolled his eyes, as he put the grimoire down. He picked up her necklace, and returned it to her neck, "I know you didn't betray me. You didn't lie."

Phoebe looked at him confused, "How?"

"I got your voicemail," he replied. She still seemed confused, so he elaborated. "Your last call to tell me about your epiphany. You never ended the call, so the voicemail kept recording. Since it was so long, it just showed up a little while ago."

Phoebe's expression changed to one of understanding.

Damon became nervous as he continued, "I didn't compel you in Atlanta, or any other time, because I wanted it to be real. You and I have something. I'm not sure exactly what that something is, but I do know that's why it bothered me to think you betrayed me."

Phoebe looked up into his blue eyes, and gave a light smile.

Damon returned her smile, "I'm trusting you. Don't make me regret it."

In that moment Phoebe became overwhelmed by a sense of déjà vu. Something about what he's just said was very familiar. Though she simply shrugged it off, and followed Damon out.

Meanwhile, Jeremy arrives at the party and looks around for Anna. Anna shows up and the two of them go for a walk away from the crowd. Anna tells him that she is leaving town with her mom and Jeremy kisses her. Anna's face begins to show that she is a vampire and Jeremy asks what is going on, when Ben knocks him out. Anna tells Ben to drag Jeremy close to the tomb so they can use him for Pearl to feed on when they get her out of the tomb.

Elsewhere, Damon and Phoebe pass through the party on their way to the tomb. Unfortunately, Matt spots Phoebe and flags her down.

"Hey, Phoebe!" called Matt.

In an attempt to avoid suspicion, Phoebe makes Damon stop for a moment. They're soon joined by Caroline, "Phoebe, oh, my God, hey. Where've you been? Matt's been so worried."

Phoebe eyed her suspiciously, as she clung to Matt. Even Matt seemed confused by her randomly taking his hand in hers.

"Long story, no time to tell it," Damon answered for her.

"Wasn't talking to you," Caroline sneered.

"Either way, you don't really care where she's been," Damon sniped back.

Phoebe hid a snicker, as she saw the expression on Caroline's face. Damon grinned, pleased with himself.

Matt, despite his jealousy, extended his hand to Damon, "We haven't met. I'm Matt."

Damon looked down at his hand, then back at his face, "Matt, there's a reason we haven't met."

Phoebe hit Damon, lightly, and gave him a look.

"We don't have time for this," said Damon.

"Excuse us," said Phoebe, taking Damon away.

Phoebe and Damon make it to the church, and the witches get started. Once the tomb is open, Stefan runs into Ben while getting his tools. Anna also appears and tells him that she will take her mother out and gives Stefan a choice. He can try to stop her or save Jeremy from Ben. Stefan lets Anna go so he can deal with Ben.

Meanwhile, Damon takes Phoebe inside the tomb with him as insurance that they won't close him inside. Elena goes with her sister. Inside the tomb, Elena hears whispering and asks what is happening. Damon informs her that they can sense her but he runs off to find Katherine leaving the twins alone. They stumble over the desiccated bodies of the vampires and freak out.

Anna arrives at the tomb finding the door open. Bonnie wants to stop her but Sheila lets her go. She then explains to Bonnie that no vampire will come out of the tomb. They managed to open the door but not break the seal spell, so whatever vampire gets in, is not coming out. She tells Stefan the same, when he wants to run in to get Elena and Phoebe.

Inside the tomb, Anna finds the twins and explains how Stefan and Jonathan Gilbert are responsible for her mother's imprisonment and that's why she decided that it would be Gilbert blood that will bring her mother back to life. She bites Elena, who starts screaming, making Stefan run into the tomb to find her. Anna feeds Elena's blood to Pearl but Stefan gets there in time before Pearl kills her. Elena and Phoebe run out of the tomb.

Bonnie wants to help Stefan get out and she begs Sheila to lift the seal just for a while so Stefan can come out. As the twins exit the tomb, Bonnie assures Elena that they'll fix it.

"Fix what?" asked Phoebe.

"I can't," said Stefan, standing in the doorway of the tomb.

"Can't? Can't what?" Elena questioned.

"The spell's still up, we can't get them out. Yet," Bonnie explained.

"You went in there not knowing if you could come back out?" Elena asked her boyfriend.

"I heard you scream," he replied.

Phoebe headed back inside, but her sister caught her arm, "Where are you going?"

"Where's it look like I'm going?" Phoebe replied, rhetorically.

"Phoebe, wait. You can't go back in there. It's too dangerous," Elena argued.

Phoebe shrugged her sister's hand away, "I can't just leave him in there. I promised him."

"Even if we're able to break through the seal, we won't be able to hold it for long," said Sheila.

"I'll go with you," Stefan told Phoebe.

Stefan and Phoebe head back inside, while Bonnie and Sheila begin a spell to lift the seal. Shortly after, Anna comes out with her mother. Inside the tomb, Damon cannot find Katherine anywhere. Stefan and Phoebe find him muttering to himself.

"Damon," said Stefan.

"She's not here," Damon mutters.

"What?" Phoebe asks.

"She's not here!" Damon shouts, throwing a blood bag against the wall.

"Damon, we need to get out of here," Stefan tells him.

Damon doesn't him, though. He just continues to mutter to himself, "It doesn't make sense. They locked her inside."

"If we don't leave now, we're not getting out," Stefan pressed.

"How could she not be in here?" Damon questioned.

"It's not worth spending all of eternity down here! _She's_ not worth it!" said Stefan, forcefully.

"NO!" shouted Damon, shrugging his brother off of him.

"Damon! Please," pleaded Phoebe. Damon looks at Phoebe, taking in her distress. Since it was her asking, he snaps out of his daze long enough to leave. The three of them get out just in time before the door closes again. Phoebe helps make sure Jeremy's okay, before checking on Damon. She walks up to him, and hugs him, "I'm sorry."

Bonnie and Sheila go back home, while the twins take Jeremy home. He says he doesn't remember anything, but when they leave he starts searching the Internet about vampires. Anna brings her mother to her motel room, where they find Damon waiting for them. Damon grabs Pearl threatening to kill her and accuses Anna of knowing the whole time that Katherine was not in the tomb. Anna admits that she did know, but she didn't tell him because then he would never have helped her open the tomb. Pearl explains to him how Katherine got away and Anna tells him that she saw Katherine few years ago. Katherine knew where Damon was, but she didn't care to find him. Damon is heartbroken over the information and leaves.

Elena – who has joined her friend at Sheila's house – sits with Bonnie for a while. Bonnie later goes to check on her Grams and she finds her dead. She starts yelling for help while she desperately goes through the spell book to find a spell that will bring her back and Elena calls 911.

Over at the Salvatore House, Phoebe has arrived to be there for her friend. When she got there he was sitting on the floor in front of the fireplace, staring into the flames. Phoebe sat on the ottoman next to him, quietly.

Without even looking away, Damon asked her, "Here to make sure I don't drive, again?"

Phoebe gave a light smile, "If necessary."

Damon gave a light smirk, as he continued to stare into the flames. Phoebe began to reach out and place a comforting hand on him in some fashion, but stopped herself. Though she only had one previous experience to go by, her just being there was enough for Damon. They didn't need physical contact to comfort each other, or even words. She and Damon could convey sentiments with just a look, or simply being there for one another.

"She didn't care. She knew where I was, and that I was waiting to be with her again, and she didn't care," said Damon.

Nothing Phoebe could think to say was good enough. She simply reached out, and placed a hand on his shoulder. Damon reached up and held her hand in his, before slowly leaning over to lay his head on her knee. With her other hand, Phoebe began petting his head comfortingly.

Back at the tomb, a vampire feeds on the blood Damon threw against the wall, then slowly heads to the door and exits the tomb, revealing that the seal spell did not work.


	15. A Few Good Men

Chapter 15:A Few Good Men

The episode starts with Harper - the vampire who got out of the tomb - attacking a hiker and then stealing his clothes. He gets out of the woods and into town, looking lost in the modern world. He sees a woman sitting on a bench who nods to him and he nods back.

At the Gilbert House, Elena sits on the porch writing in her diary. It's been almost a month since the night of Duke's Party, and Bonnie is still not back from her grandmother's funeral. She won't return any of Elena's calls, either. After Elena tries calling her again, Phoebe joins her sister out on the porch.

"Calling Bonnie again?" asked Phoebe.

"Yeah...still no answer," said Elena.

"Well, I've got just the thing to cheer you up," said Phoebe, beaming.

Elena smiled back at her sister, "What?"

Phoebe stretched out her hand, and her sister took it, confused. Phoebe lead her inside to the dining table in the kitchen, where she had her laptop and a spread of papers all over. "Dad kept everything from his medical practice – records, logs, old appointment books. I found an entry from the night we were born. Patient and birthdate."

"And?" asked Elena excitedly.

"Isobel Peterson," said Phoebe, handing her the old appointment book.

"Do you think that's her real name?" Elena asked, looking at the book.

Phoebe plopped down in front of her laptop, "Pregnant teenaged runaway – propaply not. First name, maybe, but where'd she get Peterson? Most people use their best friend's name."

"Hmm. Phoebe Donovan. Has a nice ring to it," Elena teased.

"Stop it," Phoebe told her through clenched teeth. She wasn't mad, she was just trying not to smile. "Anyway, I did a search for all the Petersons in this area, born the same year as Isobel, and found 3 – two men and a woman, Trudie. She lives in Grove Hill, Virginia."

"That's not far from here," Elena noted.

Phoebe indicated for her to watch what she was doing on the computer, while she searched for Trudie Peterson Grove Hill High School. She pulled up an image from the '93 year book of Isobel and Trudie together in their cheerleader uniforms.

"Isobel," said Elena. She grinned at Phoebe, "She was a cheerleader."

Phoebe scrunched up her nose in disgust.

Elena laughed, "I thought you didn't care about who our biological parents were."

"I don't."

"Then why go through all this trouble?" she asked.

"Since Damon is in such a downward spiral that Stefan says it's best if I don't go over for a while, and Matt is too busy with Caroline to spend much time with me," Phoebe explained. She rolled her eyes and sighed, "I knew I shouldn't have been so supportive of their relationship."

"So, you're just bored," Elena guessed.

"Mostly," Phoebe admitted. "Though, to be honest, it helps distract me from hating Caroline and worrying about Damon."

Elena rolled her eyes.

"I also knew it would cheer you up, since you were curious," she added.

"Oh, come on, admit it. You're curious, too," said Elena.

"Okay, fine. I'm curious. I wanna know where I get my intelligence from, or my horrible vision, or a few other things. But if I won't be mad if I never know the answers to those questions," Phoebe told her. "I'm sorry I snapped at you the way I did. It just really irritated me that you were so mad about not being told."

"I know. And you were right. I was being ungrateful," said Elena.

Phoebe scribbled something down, and handed it to her sister, "Here's Trudie's address. I thought you, or we, could pay her a visit."

"What about Isobel?" Elena questioned.

"I couldn't find anything about her," Phoebe answered.

"I think I might have some information on Isobel," said Jenna, making her presence known. Both twins looked up at her. "Mr. Saltzman, Rick, his wife was from around here, and her name was also Isobel."

"Wait. _Was,_ as in...?" Phoebe questioned.

Jenna hesitated for a moment, before responding, "She died."

The conversation ended there. Elena went upstairs to call Stefan, and Phoebe cleaned up her mess at the table. After that, Phoebe headed over to Matt's for a bit, while Elena and Stefan talked in her room.

"So, Alaric's wife might have been your mother?" asked Stefan.

"It can't be true, right? I mean, the coincidence alone is just crazy," replied Elena. She took a breath, and stopped pacing, "I have the address for her friend Trudie."

"You wanna talk to her?" asked Stefan.

"I don't know," Elena sighed.

"Well, if you do decide to go talk to Isobel's friend, I'll go with you, okay?" He offered.

"It's not me I'm worried about," said Elena.

"I thought you said Phoebe didn't care about any of this," said Stefan, somewhat confused.

"She doesn't. At least, not like I do," replied Elena. She took another breath, then explained, "She's curious about where she gets her intelligence from, and I know that doesn't seem like much, but I know my sister and I know she's more curious than she lets on."

"So what's the problem?" Stefan questioned.

"The problem is, if Rick's wife is the same Isobel that gave birth to us, then that means Damon killed her. And if Damon killed her -," began Elena.

Stefan finished her thought for her, "Then finding that out will undoubtedly upset her."

Elena nodded.

"I wouldn't –uh- I wouldn't worry about it. The coincidence is – it's too much," said Stefan. This seemed to calm Elena down some. The couple held each other for a moment, before Stefan told her, "I should get goin'. I gotta go deal with Damon."

"How's he doing?" Elena asked, releasing Stefan.

"He's dealing…in his own way," he answered.

"Phoebe's worried about him," said Elena. "She wants to see him."

"I know. But it's not – it's not a good idea right now," said Stefan. "I promise to call her the moment he's ready to have her over again."

Elena nodded in response. Stefan kissed her head, and headed back home.

At the Salvatore House, Damon tries to deal with the truth about Katherine on his own way; partying with girls. Stefan interrupts them because he wants to ask him about Isobel, but Damon says he doesn't know her. Knowing the importance of this subject matter, Stefan pushes his brother to remember. Damon becomes suspicious of his brother's questioning, causing Stefan to drop the matter, for now. Damon returns his attention to the girls.

Meanwhile, Jenna meets Alaric at the Grill and tells him about her theory of his wife being Phoebe and Elena's birth mother. He says that his wife didn't have any kids, but when Jenna shows him a picture of Elena's mother, he leaves in shock.

Over at the Donovan residence, Matt and Phoebe are finally hanging out, without Caroline. As the two sit on the couch watching TV, Matt notices Phoebe glancing over at the clock a lot.

"Is there somewhere else you need to be?" he asked her.

"What?"

"You've watched the clock more than you have the TV, since you got here," Matt explained. "What's up?"

"Nothing," she lied. "Just curious what time it is."

Matt turned off the TV, and gave her a look that said he knew she was lying.

Phoebe sighed and dropped her head back onto the back of the couch, "I'm just waiting for Caroline to show up."

Matt raised his eyebrows and smirked, "I didn't realize you had a thing for my girlfriend, Phoebes."

Phoebe turned her head to glare at him, as she hit him with a pillow, "Funny. I'm talking about how she always has to show up whenever you and I are hanging out. It's like she's scared to leave us alone for too long."

Matt very quickly became nervous. As much as he wished Phoebe would figure out how he felt about her, now wasn't a good time for her to figure it out. Not while he was dating Caroline. Matt did his best to deflect her away from the subject matter, without being obvious, "Oh, so it's _me_ you've got a thing for. You should've said something before I got with Caroline."

"Joke all you want, Mattie. If she keeps trying to dictate our time together, I'm gonna have to break you two up," said Phoebe, somewhat seriously.

Matt laughed, "Oh, really? We'll just see about that."

Phoebe had gone back to staring up at the ceiling, which now proved to be a mistake. Matt reached over and began tickling her all over. Phoebe writhed and wiggled about, trying to stop him, as she giggled, "Matt! No! Stop!"

Matt didn't stop until another voice commented, "Trading one twin for the other, I see."

Phoebe – who was now on her back with Matt on top of her – didn't even need to look up to know who it was.

"Mom," said Matt, surprised.

Matt's mom just smile at her son, as she acknowledged Phoebe, "Phoebe."

Phoebe took a breath and rolled her eyes, "Kelly."

Matt got off of Phoebe, and she got off of the couch.

"I'll see you, later," Phoebe told Matt, slipping her shoes on. She then left – exchanging looks with Kelly on her way out – to let mother and son catch up.

Elsewhere, Elena goes to Trudie's house to ask about Isobel. Trudie realizes that she is Isobel's daughter and lets her in. Trudie then texts someone: "She is here". While they're talking, Trudie makes some tea to drink. Elena figures out that she put vervain in it - realizing that Trudie knows about vampires - but when she asks her about it, Trudie asks her to leave. As Elena makes her way to her car, she sees a man standing in the road looking at her. She takes off before the man approaches, and she later tells Stefan all about it.

In the meantime, Alaric meets Stefan to talk to him about his wife and if he found out anything - since he promised to help him. He wants to know what Damon did to Isobel, but Stefan tells him that Damon doesn't remember her, so he asks for a picture of hers to show it to him.

Damon goes to the Grill's bar for a drink and Alaric is there. They talk for a while before Alaric leaves and Liz appears. She wants to ask Damon to be one of the bachelors at the Founder's fundraiser and he accepts. In return, he asks her help find information about Alaric, because he doesn't trust him. Meanwhile, the mystery man Elena saw outside Trudie's house now knocks Trudie's door asking about Elena. Even though Trudie tells him what he wants, the man kills her.

Later, Phoebe and Elena head over to the Salvatore House to pick up the brothers for the Founder's Bachelor Auction. When they get there, Elena heads upstairs to find Stefan, while Phoebe waits in the living room. She's soon joined by a drunken Damon. His shirt wasn't yet buttoned, and he was carrying his jacket. However, Phoebe noticed his unbuttoned shirt before anything else – she had never seen him nearly shirtless before. She had been excited to see Damon again – after nearly a month of not seeing him – but now she was a different kind of excited.

"Damon," said Phoebe, trying not to stare. "You look, um…"

Damon tossed his jacket onto the couch, and moved closer to her with each word, "Dashing? Gorgeous? Irresistible?"

Damon was now so close, Phoebe could smell the alcohol on his breath. She leaned back, "Wrecked. You look wrecked."

He backed away and shrugged, "No reason why. Do you know that I'm one of Mystic Falls' most eligible bachelors?"

"You don't say?" Phoebe said, sarcastically. What she was thinking was something different entirely.

"Yup," replied Damon. He began trying to button his shirt.

Phoebe watched him, as she asked, "How are you doing?"

"Never better," he lied. "What brings you by?"

"We're all supposed to go to the Fundraiser together," she answered. Damon grunted in response, still trying to button his shirt. He was failing miserably. Phoebe walked over to him, and began doing it for him. "So, I found out who my birth mother is."

Damon made a face, "Ugh, who cares?"

Phoebe looked up at him with a somewhat hurt expression.

Damon noticed this and clarified, "She left you. She sucks."

Phoebe's lips spread into a smile. She finished buttoning his shirt, then helped him put on his jacket. Stefan and Elena returned downstairs, and the four of them headed to the Grill.

At the Founder's fundraiser, Liz gives Damon the info he wanted about Alaric and he realizes that Alaric's wife is the woman Stefan was asking him about. Phoebe and Elena go to the ticket booth to talk to Caroline – who is working the booth – and Matt. Caroline tells them about the cougars hitting on Matt, which makes them all laugh. Kelly Donovan shows up to purchase a few tickets, and greets Elena with warmth. She refers to Caroline as Matt's rebound girl, but pretends to be joking. She then heads for the bar, and the twins head off to find Jenna.

The Bachelor Raffle begins and Mrs. Lockwood introduces the bachelors. When she goes to Damon, he starts talking about Alaric's wife. To most he sounded like he had known Rick's wife intimately. Stefan, Elena, Phoebe, and Rick knew better. They knew what he described as "delicious" was actually him feeding on her. Even Phoebe – who had been kept in the dark – put the pieces together, and understood that Damon was saying he had killed Rick's wife. Her and Elena's mother. Phoebe – in shock – stands up, and walks outside for air. She's closely followed by Stefan and Elena. As the couple argue about Damon's cruelty, Phoebe tried to regain her bearings.

"I'm gonna go get my coat," said Phoebe, calmly. "I wanna go home."

"I'll go get for you," offered Elena.

"No, I'll do it. I'll ride home with Matt. He gets off in a few minutes," said Phoebe, still calm. She returned inside, grabbed her coat, and found Matt at the ticket booth with Caroline.

"Hey, Mattie," Phoebe greeted him, forcing a smile.

It did no good. Matt could see straight through it, "What's wrong?"

"Would you mind giving me a ride home?" she asked, ignoring the question.

"Yeah, sure. Of course," he replied. He gave Caroline a look that told her he'd call her later, and walked out with Phoebe.

Elsewhere, Elena confronts Damon about the things he said. She tells him about Rick's wife being her and Phoebe's birth mother. Damon was surprised by this news, and mentally kicked himself, as he began searching for Phoebe. He wanted to apologize and make sure she wasn't too upset, but he only caught a glimpse of her walking out the door with Matt.

Matt and Phoebe arrived at the Gilbert House, after a silent car ride. Matt had let her be in the car, but now that they were home he wanted to know what was wrong with her.

"So, you gonna tell me what's up with you, or do I have to guess?" he asked, following her into her room.

Phoebe sighed, "Damon's been going through something personal, the past few weeks, and I haven't been allowed to visit. His methods of dealing were of the downward spiral variety, so this was the first time I've gotten to see him in weeks."

"Okay, so you're upset about the way he talked about Mr. Saltzman's wife?" he asked.

Phoebe coughed a little, before continuing, "Yes, but it's not what you think. Do you remember me telling you that Elena and I were adopted?"

Matt nodded.

"Well, Mr. Saltzman's wife was our biological mother," said Phoebe. She coughed again.

"Wait, so Mr. Saltzman is your dad?" Matt asked.

"No," Phoebe answered. "She had us when she was a teenager."

Matt made a face of understanding.

"I just…I was so excited to see Damon again. And then to hear him talk about her like that…to taunt Mr. Saltzman so publically…I don't know how to feel…This woman is nothing to me, but…to see him be so cruel…," Phoebe explained, through coughs. Her coughing was becoming more phlegm-sounding.

Matt looked at her, concerned, "Phoebe, have you taken your medicine today?"

"No," she replied, sheepishly. "I forgot."

Matt made exasperated gestures, "Phoebe! You have to take your medicine. It's there for a reason."

"I know, I know," she said coughing a little more.

"Go get changed into something more comfortable, while I set it up," he sighed. "Where is it?"

"Left drawer of the window seat," Phoebe answered, pointing. She grabbed her pajamas and headed for the bathroom.

Matt walked over to her window seat, knelt down, and opened the left drawer. Inside was Phoebe's nebulizer. Matt took it out, plugged it in, and filled it with her medicine. When Phoebe returned – still coughing – she sat on the window seat with Matt, put the mask on, and inhaled. After a short while, she began to feel better, and breathed easier.

Elena decided she wanted to go home, too, so she and Stefan headed out. As they walk to Elena's car, the mystery man - who killed Trudie - shows up and tells Elena to stop looking for Isobel, because she does not want to know her. Elena tries to ask him about Isobel, but the man has been compelled to repeat the same message, until she agrees to stop looking. As soon as she does, he steps in the middle of the road and a truck hits him. Elena takes his cell phone from the ground and the couple leaves.

Alaric leaves the fundraiser and goes to the Salvatore house to find Damon holding and ask him about Isobel. Damon tells him that he turned her, because Isobel came to him begging him to do it. Alaric tries to stake him, but Damon gets the stake and kills Alaric. Stefan arrives and sees Rick's body lying on the floor. Damon tells him what happened and now that he knows Isobel was related to the twins, he believes that somehow Katherine sent her to him for a reason. Stefan stays with Rick's body for a while, when suddenly he comes back to life. They are both shocked. Stefan guesses that someone must have given him vampire blood and thus turned him. Alaric remembers a conversation he had with Isobel when she gave him his ring and told him that it was a gift to protect him. He tells Stefan that it was the ring that somehow protected him.

Back at the Gilbert House, Elena sits in her room with the dead man's phone. She dials the last number the mystery man called from his cell. A woman's voice answers asking if there was a problem, and if he found her. Elena realizes that is Isobel, but the moment Isobel hears that is Elena, she hangs up the phone.

Somewhere in the woods, Harper arrives at a house and knocks on the door. The woman he saw sitting on the bench opens the door, and then calls for Pearl. Pearl greets Harper with her daughter, Anna. Along with them comes a woman, who Pearl asks to invite Harper in.


	16. There Goes the Neighborhood

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oddly, I originally had nothing to write for this episode. Phoebe was to be sitting at home, ignoring Damon, yet somehow I ended up having another long chapter. Not complaining, though, more for you guys to read. As always, please R&R and enjoy! :)

Chapter 16: There Goes the Neighborhood

At the home where Pearl is staying, Anna helps the newly emerged vampires to adjust to modern life. Over at the Donovan House, Matt calls out to his mom, but she doesn't answer. He knocks on her door, and she tells him she was trying to sleep, after having a late night. Matt says there is a bartender position open for her at the grill, if she wants it. Kelly says she'll check it out later. Caroline arrives and says hello to Kelly, but she retreats back to her room. Matt and Caroline then head to school.

At school, Stefan tells Elena that Damon isn't talking to him. All he seems to do is call Phoebe, and wait for her to call him back. Elena says she wishes she could get through one day without any vampires, except him. No talk of Katherine, Isobel, or Damon. Just boring schoolwork, and maybe even some fun. Stefan agrees that it sounds good.

Elsewhere, Matt and Caroline arrive at school, discussing what to do that night.

"We can watch a movie at my place," Matt suggested.

"Uh, with your mom, and a six-pack?" Caroline retorted.

"You know, you don't really help the situation," Matt told her. "Could you at least try to be nice?"

"Caroline gave a sarcastic laugh, "Oh, I'm sorry. It's hard for me to show kindness to people who hate me."

"You're not the only one she doesn't like, Caroline. She and Phoebe but heads, too, but you don't hear Phoebe making snarky comments," said Matt.

"Well, we can't all be as evolved as Phoebe," Caroline replied, bitterly.

Matt glanced over and saw Phoebe at her locker. He looked back at Caroline, and said, "I gotta go, I'm late. Whatever you wanna do tonight is fine."

"Okay," Caroline replied. She leaned in to kiss him, but he was already walking over to Phoebe. Caroline scowled at Phoebe for a moment, before giving a sharp sigh and heading to class.

As Matt neared Phoebe, he announced himself, "Hey."

Phoebe looked away from the contents of her locker, and smiled, "Hey."

"How you doin' today?" Matt asked.

"Alright, I guess," Phoebe replied, closing her locker. The pair began walking to class together.

"Still not talking to Damon?" he asked.

Phoebe took a deep breath, "Nope."

"You can't ignore him forever, you know," he told her.

"I don't want to ignore him forever. I don't want to ignore him now," she replied. "I just don't know what to say. I mean, I don't wanna pretend it never happened, because he shouldn't have done that."

"He didn't know she was your birth mother," Matt defended.

"I know, and I understand that. I just..." Phoebe stopped dead in her tracks, and looked at Matt, surprised, "Did you just... _defend_ Damon Salvatore?"

Matt stopped a few steps ahead of her, sighed, and turned back to face her, "Look, I'm not gonna lie, I wish you weren't friends with him. From what Caroline has told me, and what I've seen, he's not a good guy. Hell, the one time I met him he was an ass."

"No argument here," Phoebe mumbled.

"But I know you," Matt continued. "You wouldn't give him even an ounce of your attention, if you didn't think he was worth it. And you wouldn't be this bothered by something he did, if you didn't like him."

Phoebe smiled, as she avoided looking at him.

"So even though I don't like him, I'll help you with any problems I can, because you like him," he added.

Phoebe made a face, "That sounds familiar."

Matt smiled, and the two continued on to class.

Back at the Vampire House, Pearl shows Harper Anna's phone and accidentally plays a message from Jeremy. Pearl asks Anna what she thinks of her new clothes, before the two head to town.

Later at school, Caroline asks Elena and Stefan if they would like to go out on a double date. She explains she wants to get over their past relationships. After Stefan says it sounds like fun, Elena agrees to go.

After school, Matt and Phoebe walk outside together, while Matt tells her about the double-date Caroline set up for them. As he does, Damon watches them from a distance.

"Well, that sounds super awkward," said Phoebe. "You guys have fun with that."

"You know what would make it less awkward?" Matt asked.

Phoebe stopped and stood directly in front of him, "I want you to listen very closely, because I'm only going to say this once: I am _not_ going to be the awkward fifth wheel on your double-date tonight, or any other night."

Matt laughed, "You don't have to be the fifth wheel, Phoebe. You could call Damon and ask him to be your date. We'll make it a triple-date."

Across the street, Damon made a face that said he'd rather do anything, _but_ go on a triple-date with his brother and Matt Donovan.

"Ha!" Phoebe laughed. "No offense, but I'm sure Damon would rather do anything else, besides go on a triple-date with his brother and you."

Damon smiled to himself.

"Okay, offense taken," Matt noted.

"There are several other reasons that will _never_ happen, not the least of which the relationship he _just_ got out of," Phoebe added.

Matt became confused, "Are you talking about his relationship with Caroline?"

"No, it was another girl," Phoebe told him. She thought very carefully about how to explain his relationship with Katherine, without giving anything away. "He's been in love with her most of his life, and he thought she loved him back, but it turns out she didn't care about at all...he just found out about a month ago."

For the first time ever, Matt felt sorry for Damon, "Poor guy."

Phoebe nodded.

"If he wasn't such a dick, he might actually have friends," said Matt.

"He does have a friend," said Phoebe, proudly.

"Yeah, but you're his only one. Even then, he's workin' on pushing you away," Matt argued.

Phoebe shook her head, "No, he's not. You said it yourself, he didn't know Isobel was my birth mother."

"Yeah, but, Phoebe, he's still-"

"A jerk? I know," said Phoebe.

"That's putting it mildly," Matt mumbled.

Damon rolled his eyes.

"I know that, too," Phoebe admitted, rolling her eyes as well. "But there's more to him than that. He's just buried it so deep down, it's hard to see. He acts the way he does to keep from getting hurt, and he's been that way for so long that he doesn't know how to be anything else."

Damon stared at Phoebe hard. She never ceased to amaze him.

"Wow," Matt said, thoughtfully. "You've got it _bad_."

Phoebe blushed and hit her friend, playfully, "Shut up."

Damon disappeared from where he stood across the street, and went home. There he finds Pearl and Anna inside, waiting for him. Pearl says she is surprised to see that there are no living people at the house, making an invitation unnecessary. After Anna asks how he deals with unwanted vampires, Damon explains he kills them. He quickly grabs Pearl's neck but she overpowers him, tossing him onto the couch.

Pearl tells Damon about the vampires who left the tomb. She then asks him about the Council: the members and the vervain that he supplies them with. Pearl says she wants to take back the land that they owned, and offers to help him find Katherine, if he helps her. She explains since she was her best friend, she knows how she thinks. Damon says he doesn't want anything to do with Katherine, and refuses to help. Pearl demands he work with her, as she pokes in his eyes with her thumbs. She and Anna then leave the Boarding House.

Meanwhile at the Gilbert House, Jeremy goes online, looking for information about vampires. Downstairs, Stefan brings Elena flowers for their date. Stefan says he would have driven over, but doesn't want to use his car. Elena offers to cancel the date, fearing that maybe they weren't meant to get to the normal parts of dating. Stefan says he wants to try to be normal and do normal things. Elena agrees to still go, as Phoebe joins them in the kitchen, fully dressed, like she's going out.

"Where are you going?" Elena asked.

"Matt invited me to be your awkward fifth-wheel tonight," Phoebe answered. "If that's okay with you guys?"

"Of course," replied Stefan. "You're more than welcome to join us."

"Yeah, it'll be good for you to get out of the house for a while," Elena agreed.

Phoebe furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, "Okay, why does everyone keep treating me like I've just been through a bad break-up, and all I do is mope around the house?"

"Well, you've been avoiding Damon since the fundraiser," Stefan answered.

"That's because I don't know what to say," Phoebe replied. She took a breath and continued to explain. "Look, I had this conversation with Matt, earlier. I'm not upset by what he did, or said, because I have no feelings what-so-ever towards Isobel. It just surprised me to see him be that cruel to someone for no reason. Damon usually has a reason for the bad things he does. Now, I realize I'm the only one surprised by his actions, but that's because I choose to focus on the good things that he does, rather than the bad – like you guys – and believe me, there have been a lot of nice things that he's done. But I'm fine. Really. Can we go now?"

Stefan and Elena exchanged glances, as Phoebe headed for the door, before following her out.

In town, Pearl and Anna meet with Jenna, who shows them an old building that is up for sale. Jenna explains it used to be an apothecary. Pearl's nostalgia implies that it used to be her shop.

Damon goes to the grill – wearing sunglasses – and meets Kelly, who is at the bar. The two hit it off, and make small talk. Jenna arrives and is surprised to see Kelly. Kelly explains they used to party together, then invites her to join them for some drinks. Shortly thereafter, Matt and Caroline arrive. They grab a table and wait for Stefan and Elena.

Caroline is excited for their double-date, because it'll mean no Phoebe. However, her mood is quickly shot down, when she sees Phoebe arrive with Stefan and Elena.

"What is Phoebe doing here?" Caroline asked Matt.

"I invited her," he answered.

"Why would you do that?" she challenged. "The point of a double-date is for there to be two couples, not two couples and a single."

"She's my best friend, Caroline. Forgive me if I don't think twice about inviting her to hang out," Matt retorted.

Caroline was unable to complain further, because the other three arrived at the table. Pleasantries were exchanged, seats were taken, and everyone got settled in.

At the Vampire House, Frederick complains that he hates staying at the house and wants to leave. Harper and Frederick get into a fight, but Pearl arrives and breaks them up. Frederick says he wants to go into town, but Pearl warns that the Salvatores will recognize them.

Back at the Grill, Elena attempts to make conversation so the awkward tension will ease.

"So, uh, Matt, how do you like working here?" Elena asked.

"Uh, it's not that bad," said Matt. "Wait staff tips out pretty good. You know, they can't keep a bartender to save their lives, but..."

Phoebe – who was sitting in a chair next to Matt – thought back to the last two bartenders they had. One was fired for serving alcohol to minors, after Lexi compelled him not to check for I.D.s. Then Ben was killed by Stefan the night they broke into the tomb.

Phoebe hid a smile, while Matt continued, "I actually put my mom up for the job."

"Yeah, how's that been? Having Kelly back?" Elena asked.

"You know, the same old Kelly. She's, uh, she's trying, sort of," Matt answered.

Elena smiled at Stefan and explained, "Kelly and our mom were best friends growing up."

"That's how we first met Matt. We shared a crib together," Phoebe added.

"You're kidding," Stefan commented.

"No, we've, uh, known each other our whole lives," replied Matt. He and Phoebe smiled at each other in a way that made Caroline immensely uncomfortable. A thankful distraction comes when the waitress arrives to take their orders.

At the Vampire House, Harper catches Frederick and Beth Anne sneaking out of the house. Harper reminds them that Pearl said not to leave, but Frederick and Beth Anne leave anyway. Anna goes to Jeremy's house, which surprises him since he thought she was leaving town. Jeremy seems uneasy, as she steps into the house.

Meanwhile at the Grill, Dinner has only made Caroline feel worse. Matt and Phoebe have done what they always do: they get two seperate meals, and pick off of each other's plate. At the bar, Damon tells Kelly and Jenna that his world is falling apart and wants to get hammered to drown his sorrows.

After eating, the five teenagers move to the pool table to hang out; where they notice Kelly, Jenna, and Damon getting drunk at the bar.

Matt leaned in towards Phoebe, "Funny, he doesn't seem all that broken up about his relationship."

"He has a very...unique grieving process," Phoebe replied, staring at Damon.

"I'm sure he does," Matt laughed. "Why don't we invite him over? See if we can cheer him up with that triple-date?"

Phoebe looked at Matt, and returned his sarcasm, "Sure. Let's do that. Maybe he'll bring Aunt Jenna and your mom over with him. They seem like they're having such a wonderful time, I'd hate to spoil it."

Matt stared down at her, and his smile vanished. Kelly let out a loud "WOO!" at the bar, and they all turned to look.

"Well, at least they're having fun," Caroline noted.

"They're drunk," Elena pointed out.

"Remember when Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert busted us here after homecoming?" Matt asked, laughing at the thought.

Caroline laughed, "Oh, my god. Yes! Phoebe was so wasted!"

"It was the first time she had ever gotten drunk," said Elena.

Stefan smiled, as he listened to the story, and Phoebe became embarrassed.

"I blame Matt," said Phoebe.

"Their parents got seated at the next booth," Matt began.

"Oh, and Matt had me distract them, so he could get Phoebe out of there," Elena continued.

"But on our way out, Phoebe slipped on the wet floor and bit it in front of everyone," Matt added.

"3 stitches, a hangover for days, and I was grounded from seeing this one for a week," Phoebe finished.

"I don't think she's even touched a drink, since," said Matt.

"Actually, I have," Phoebe corrected.

"What?" Elena asked. "When?"

"Last year," Phoebe answered. "It started out with a burger and a beer, but somehow escalated to shots...not really sure how...most of that night is still a blur."

"I don't remember that," said Matt, trying to remember. "Where was I?"

"Probably here," Phoebe answered.

"Then where were you?" Matt asked.

"Georgia," said Phoebe, simply.

Stefan and Elena shared a look, knowing exactly when this was.

Caroline laughed, "Wait, so at some point last year you drove to Georgia, and did shots?"

"No," answered Phoebe. Caroline seemed proud, as though she had caught Phoebe in a lie. It didn't last long, though. As Phoebe explained, Caroline's face fell and became jealous, once again. "Sometime late last year, Damon drove to Georgia – taking me with him – where we stopped by his friend's bar for a burger. We each had a beer with said burger, which eventually escalated to shots, somehow, and we came back the next day."

Caroline was inexplicably irritated and wanted nothing more than to embarrass Phoebe. She narrowed her eyes at her, and drew attention to something, "So you spent the night with Damon?"

Everyone looked between Caroline and Phoebe. Such behavior was normal for Caroline, but the banter that came next was _not_ normal for Phoebe.

Phoebe turned her entire body to face Caroline and replied, "Technically, yes."

"Wow. You move fast. How long had you known him at that point? A few weeks?" Caroline sniped.

"Well, it was better than the few _days_ that _you_ knew him, before sleeping with him," Phoebe shot back. Caroline struggled to think of a comeback, but couldn't. She stormed off to the ladies' room in a huff, closely followed by Elena.

Phoebe turned to Matt, "Before you scold me and tell me how you expect better of me, just remember I already have a next-to-zero tolerance level when it comes to Caroline Forbes, and for her to intentionally try to provoke me...I'm sorry. I'm gonna go, so you guys can enjoy what's left of your date."

Matt and Stefan watched Phoebe walk towards the bathrooms – hopefully to apologize to Caroline, and not escalate matters. Matt admitted to Stefan, "I can't even be mad at her. Caroline _was_ trying to get a rise out of her."

"She got one," said Stefan.

"Yeah," Matt agreed.

"Why don't we take this back to my place? Just the four of us, the way it was meant to be," Stefan offered.

Matt thought it over, "Caroline might feel better without Phoebe around...sounds good. Thanks, man."

Stefan smiled, and gave a nod. The two chatted, while they waited for Elena and Caroline to return.

Meanwhile in the ladies' room, Elena tries talking to her friend, "Caroline -,"

"I don't wanna talk about it," Caroline told her.

"You're being rediculous," said Elena.

"And insecure, and stupid, but that doesn't change the fact that I'm always gonna be the backup," replied Caroline.

"You're not the backup," said Elena.

"Yes, I am," Caroline argued. "I'm Matt's Phoebe backup. I'm your Bonnie backup."

"Now it's about me and Bonnie?" Elena questioned. Caroline didn't respond. "Look, I know you and Phoebe have never really been fond of one another, but the way you've been acting all night is just -"

Caroline cut her off, finally saying what's been on her mind all night, "Because Matt's in love with her!"

As the words left her mouth, Phoebe was entering the bathroom. She looked between the two girls, confused by what she'd just heard. Caroline turned to see who had entered the bathroom, and upon seeing it was Phoebe, tried to leave. Phoebe blocked her exit, "Wait, just let me say something. Please?"

Caroline gave an annoyed huff, and crossed her arms.

"It's no secret that you and I have never really liked one another, but after tonight's display – from both of us – it's obvious there's more to it than just not liking one another," Phoebe explained. "To be honest, I thought it was because of Damon, but it would seem I was wrong about that."

"Are you done?" Caroline asked, becoming more annoyed.

"Caroline, you don't need to be threatened by me," Phoebe told her. "Matt chose you, not me."

"But he told me he was in love with you," said Caroline.

"Yeah, and entire time he was dating Elena, I was in love with him," Phoebe replied.

Elena looked at her sister with a combination of surprise and confusion on her face.

"For as long as I can remember, all I ever wanted was to be Matt's girlfriend," Phoebe continued. "But he chose my twin sister over me, and now the one girl in this town he knows I can't stand to be around. You don't think that hurts me just a little bit?"

Caroline said nothing, as she thought about what Phoebe was saying.

"But that was before, Caroline. I don't want to be with Matt, anymore. And I guarantee you Matt doesn't want to be with me anymore," Phoebe added.

"But he told me he did. The night of the decade dance," Caroline argued.

"Yeah, and after you told him I was there with Damon, he ran to you, not me," said Phoebe.

"Yeah, he ran to his second choice. His backup," said Caroline.

"Caroline, if he really wanted to be with me, he'd have done it by now. He's had more than enough chances to do it," Phoebe told her. "That night, if he really wanted me, he'd have come to me and confessed his feelings, but he didn't. He went to you. The fear of losing you meant more to him than the fear of me being with Damon."

With that, Phoebe left the two girls alone in the ladies' room to consider her words. Admittingly, Caroline felt a little better. Elena followed her sister out of the bathroom, and grabbed her arm, "Phoebe, wait. Did you really...?"

"Wanna go out with Matt, while you two were together?" Phoebe finished for her. Elena nodded. "Yes. But it's not like I hated you, or resented you, or anything like that."

"Phoebe, I'm-I'm so sorry," Elena apologized.

"It's okay, Elena. It's all in the past," Phoebe assured her. "Really. Just go take care of your friend. I'm gonna go."

Elena nodded, and went back to Caroline, while Phoebe headed to the bar. Phoebe knew there wasn't enough room in Matt's truck for both couples, so she had to leave her and Elena's car there for Elena. Admittingly she could have just walked home, but she wanted to go to the Salvatore House to exchange some books in their library, and for that she'd need a car. Since Aunt Jenna was drunk, and wouldn't be able to drive home, Phoebe decided to ask her if she could use her car.

Phoebe walked up to her aunt, and tapped her on the shoulder, "Jenna?"

Jenna spun around on her barstool, "Phoebe! What-what can I do for you?"

"I was wondering if I could borrow your car. Elena needs ours for her date with Stefan," answered Phoebe.

Jenna dug out her keys, "Got a hot date?"

Phoebe smirked and opened her mouth, but Kelly cut her off with a loud chuckle, "Oh, please! The hot ones don't go out with bookworms. What my son sees in you, I'll never understand."

Jenna looked at her, surprised to hear her insult her niece right in front of her. Phoebe bit her tongue, not wanting word to get back to Matt that she had insulted his girlfriend _and_ his mom in the same night. Phoebe reached forward to take the keys out of Jenna's hand, but Damon stopped her.

"We can take my car," Damon told her, getting to his feet. For all the alcohol he'd comsumed, he seemed to sober up in an instant.

"Where are we going?" Kelly asked, seductively.

"We aren't going anywhere. I have a hot date, with the most beautiful bookworm in town," Damon replied, reaching out for Phoebe to take his hand.

Phoebe's lips spread into a grin, as she looked at him. She gave Jenna her keys, and ignored the shocked look from Kelly. She took Damon's had, and they walked out of the Grill, hand-in-hand. Kelly watched them leave, still shocked. Jenna hid a smile.

Once outside, Phoebe told Damon, "I'm driving."

Damon looked at her funny, "Why?"

"Because you're still drunk, and if you crash that beautiful Camero I'll have to hurt you," she explained.

Damon thought for a moment, then nodded in agreement, and gave her his keys.

Over at the Gilbert House, Anna tells Jeremy that her mom is going to start a business in town. She says she's going to stop home schooling and enter high school. Jeremy mentions he wants to do a report about vampires in Mystic Falls. He asks her if she thinks vampires are normal, but misunderstood. Anna lies and says she made up her knowledge of the subject to seem attractive to him.

Back at the Grill, after Elena and Caroline leave the bathroom, Frederick grabs Elena's arm thinking that she's Katherine. Frederick then notices that Stefan Salvatore is at the bar. Elena writes to type Stefan a text that says someone recognized her as Katherine, but Frederick disappeared before Stefan could get a good look at him.

While they're busy with that, Matt and Caroline talk about what happened between her and Phoebe. She apologizes for antagonising Phoebe, and Matt apologizes for not telling her that he had invited her. Matt and Stefan tell the girls about Stefan's idea to go to the Boarding House, and the girls agree to go.

Phoebe and Damon arrived at the Boarding House before the others. The entire ride was a quiet one, and both could tell the other had something they wanted to say. After pulling into the driveway and turning off the car, Phoebe looked at Damon.

"What?" he asked, confused.

"You like to tease your brother about being the white knight, or the hero brother, but you keep making yourself my knight, my hero," Phoebe answered.

Damon gave her a funny look, and waved his hand dismissively, "I just didn't see a need for her to insult you for enjoying a good book. Besides, I wanted to talk to."

"Really?" Phoebe asked, sarcastically. She took out her phone, and scrolled through all the texts and missed calls. "I hadn't noticed."

Damon gave her a look, "You knew I wanted to talk to you, yet you still ignored me. That I get. But why choose tonight to stop?"

"Because I didn't know what to say to you. I still don't. And I didn't know if you were gonna just pretend it never happened or not," Phoebe replied.

"I wasn't going to pretend it never happened. I was trying to apologize," Damon told her.

"Then why send me a hundred texts, and leave me a ton of voicemails? Why not talk to me in person?" Phoebe questioned. "You've had plenty of chances, with all the stalking you've been doing."

Damon looked at her questioningly.

"You don't think I noticed you watching me at school, and at home?" she asked.

Damon looked her in the eye, "I'm sorry for talking about your mother like that, and for doing it so publicly. If I had known...but I didn't kill her. Isobel came to me, and begged me to make her a vampire."

"That's not what bothers me, Damon. That woman means nothing to me. Though, admittingly, it's a relief to hear you only turned her and not killed her," said Phoebe. "What bothers me is to see you be so cruel to someone who's never done anything to you. I understand you were hurting because of Katherine, but there was no need to rub salt in that man's wounds."

"You're right," Damon admitted. "From now on, I'll stick to being cruel to those who _have_ done something to me."

"That's all I ask," said Phoebe. The two shared a look, and then cracked up laughing. Damon got out of the care, flitted to her door, and opened it for her. He did the same with the house door, when they got to it. Inside, Damon followed Phoebe to her favorite room in the house: the Library. While Phoebe began running her fingers over the spines of the books, Damon fixed himself a drink.

Without even looking at him, Phoebe asked him, "How much longer are you going to wallow inself-pity?"

Damon stopped short of the glass touching his lips, and then lowered his hand, "I'm not wallowing in self-pity."

"Yes, you are. Since you found out about Katherine you've been drinking a lot more," Phoebe pointed out. "Now, I'll admit I don't know what you're going through, but I do know that until you put down the burbon and start living your life again, she wins."

Damon considered her words, before putting down the glass of burbon.

"Hmm. Some of the books are gone," Phoebe commented.

"Of course they are. They're at your house," said Damon.

Phoebe rolled her eyes, "Not those. There are others. Where are they?"

Damon took off his jacket, "They're in my room. I'll go get 'em."

Phoebe nodded absentmindedly, then realised what he said, and muttered to herself, "In your room?"

Half-way down the hall Damon noticed Phoebe following him out of the library, "Where are you going?"

"You've seen my room, it's only fair I get to see yours," Phoebe answered.

"Why do you wanna see my room?" he asked.

Phoebe shrugged, "Just curious."

"Spend a lot of time thinking about my room, do you?" Damon asked, heading for the stairs.

"Yes," Phoebe replied. Damon stopped again, and turned back. Phoebe elaborated, "Not the way you think."

Damon continued on, as he mumbled, "Now, why do I believe that?"

Phoebe smirked to herself, while continuing to follow him.

Outside, Stefan and Elena arrive, shortly followed by Matt and Caroline. Elena tells Stefan she wants one normal night. If there _is_ a vampire in town, they will deal with it the next day. Stefan agrees, and takes everyone inside. As Caroline enters the living room, she says she feels like she's been there before. Matt notices Stefan's miniature car collection, and Stefan takes him to the garage to show him more.

At the Grill bar, Jenna decides she's had enough to drink, and leaves. Once outside she breaks a heel. Frederick offers to help her and breaks the other heel. Frederick tells her that he knew Damon when he lived in Miller lane. She says he now stays at the old Boarding House. Frederick tries to compel her, but it doesn't work. Frederick notices that she is wearing vervain perfume before she gets into a cab.

In the Boarding House Garage, Stefan unveils a classic Porsche. He explains the car was passed down the family, but it doesn't run. Stefan asks Matt to take a look at the engine. After Caroline says she doesn't like sports cars - since they're hard to make out in - Matt accidentally admits that it wasn't that bad with Elena. Caroline gets upset and walks out. Elena follows her to try talking to her, but – like at the Grill – she doesn't want to talk about it. Matt tries apologizing to Stefan for his slip of the tongue, but Stefan tells Matt he knows they had a history they can't ignore it. Matt admits he's glad Elena is happy with him.

The two boys get the Posrche running, and drive it out of the garage to where the girls are standing. Stefan – in an attempt to help – tells Matt to take it for a spin with Caroline. The two do just that, while Stefan and Elena head back to the house.

Meanwhile, Phoebe gets to see Damon's room for the first time. She stepped inside, slowly, taking in every inch of it, with awe. Straight back was a small balcony. On the left wall was a beautiful fireplace – like the ones everywhere else in the Boarding House – and a flatscreen plasma TV. To the right, Damon's giant king-sized bed stuck out, with a large stack of books on the floor next to it.

"Well?" Damon asked, leaning against the doorframe.

"Almost like I imagined it," she replied. "It's just missing the stripper pole."

Damon rolled his eyes, as he smiled to himself. Phoebe turned back to make sure he knew she was joking, and noticed the bathroom. She quickly walked over to it, her jaw on the floor. Everything about this bathroom was beautiful. From the masonry walls, to the hardwood floors. From the waterfall sink faucets, to the rainshower.

Phoebe put a hand on her chest, and braced herself against the archway of the bathroom, "Not to sound like a girl, but...it's just so beautiful."

Damon walked over to the stack of books by his bed, and laughed, "Come on. Come get your books."

Phoebe tore herself away from the bathroom, and turned back to the bed. She had a sudden urge to run and jump onto the bed, and gave in. She faceplanted into the middle of it, and gave a soft groan.

Damon stared down at her, "Was that necessary?"

"Yup," Phoebe replied, face still buried into the matress.

"And?"

"It's as comfy as it looks," she told him.

"Move over," he told her.

Phoebe, reluctantly, rolled over to the opposite side of the bed. Damon flopped down next to her, legs crossed at the ankles.

"This room is almost perfect," Phoebe noted.

"Almost?" Damon questioned.

"Books. It needs more books," said Phoebe.

Damon reached over, picked up the book on the top of the pile, and handed it to her. Phoebe took it, and sighed, "Okay. That's it. I'm _never_ leaving this room."

Damon laughed. Phoebe inclined her head to touch his shoulder, and closed her eyes.

Back at the Gilbert House, Jeremy fixes food for him and Anna, purposely cutting his hand. He asks Anna to help him, as walks towards her with his bloody hand. Her face turns to it's vampiric form. Jeremy says he knew she was a vampire and offers her his blood. She begins to drink it, but Jenna returns home and Anna leaves.

Matt drives Caroline around and is impressed by Stefan's car. He pulls the car over to talk to Caroline, now that they're alone. Matt tells her he can't make the past go away. He admits Phoebe still means something to him, but all night he's treated her as if they were old friends, which is what they are. The way they interact with one another, is how they've been since they were kids, and it's not going to change over night. He tells her what Phoebe told her earlier, that he wants to be with her, not Phoebe. Caroline, now feeling much better, kisses him.

At the Vampire House, Pearl asks Anna where she's been for the past 3 hours. Anna will only say she's been "out". Pearl tells her she can't fight her too, and Anna apologizes. Pearl hugs her daughter, clearly accepting her apology.

Back at the Boarding House, the couples decide to call it a night, when Matt gets a call from the Grill to go pick up his mom. Elena refuses to let Stefan take her home, because she can't live every moment worrying that there is someone after her. He tells her to call him when she gets home. After she leaves, Frederick approaches the house. Inside, the brothers bump into each other in the living room – one coming in from outside, the other coming down from the upstairs.

"Good evening, brother," said Damon, cheerfully.

"Would your sudden cheerful mood have anything to do with you leaving the Grill with Phoebe, earlier?" Stefan asked.

"Maybe."

"She get home okay?" Stefan asked.

"She didn't go home," Damon told him.

Stefan looked at his brother, confused.

"She's upstairs right now," said Damon.

"You didn't...?"

"What?" Damon asked. It took him a moment to catch on. "Oh. No, I didn't. She wanted to see my room, and then fell asleep on my super-comfy bed."

Stefan was still a little confused, but was unable to question anything further, because Frederick came crashing through the living room window. He stabs Stefan in the chest with a shard of glass, before Damon is on him. Beth Anne arrives and takes on Stefan. However, she gets staked by Stefan with a piece of wooden. Frederick sees that he is outmatched and leaves. Stefan notes that he remembers them from 1864, and that they were in the tomb. Damon then admits he already knew that they escaped.

At the Donovan House, Kelly apologizes to Matt, after being scolded by her son. Matt says he tried to have fun with his friends, but was forced to leave to take care of her. He explains that she's the parent and should be taking care of him and paying the bills, not the other way around.

At home, Jeremy and Elena inquire about each other's night. They both lie, saying it was a normal night. Though neither have seen Phoebe for a while, they just assume she's gone to bed already – which is normal.

At the Vampire House, Frederick returns home and tells Pearl that Beth Anne won't be coming back. He admits that she was right not to leave. Pearl stabs Frederick with a wooden spoon, and tells him to listen to her next time.

In bed, Elena calls Stefan to let him know she got home safe. She tells him she had a good time on their double-date, which he's glad to hear. After he hangs up, Damon asks him to help him dump Beth Anne's body into the fire. As the brothers are putting the dead vampire into the fireplace, Phoebe appears in the archway of the livving room, holding a glass of water. The boys stand on either side of the fireplace, looking back and forth between Phoebe and the scene around them.

Phoebe stood there – glasses falling down her nose, hair messier than normal – staring at the body in the fireplace, with sleepy eyes. She tilted her head to one side, then back up. Shaking her head, all she said was, "Not tonight."

Damon and Stefan furrowed their eyebrows in a confused manner, as they watched Phoebe go back upstairs. The brothers exchanged looks of confusion, and went back to cleaning up the mess.

Back at the Gilbert Hosuse, Jeremy is surprised to find Anna in his room. She tells him she could have killed him, but he points out that she didn't. Anna asks him how he knew about her. Jeremy tells her he knew a girl named Vicki who acted strange after she was attacked by animals. He says he noticed how her face changed when they kissed at the cemetery. Anna asks him not to tell anyone. He tells her he won't, because he wants to become a vampire too.


	17. Let the Right One In

Chapter 17: Let the Right One In

Anna is still in Jeremy's room, where he's trying to convince her to turn him, but she doesn't agree with it. Elena knocks on the door, and Anna disappears. She asks Jeremy to help make sure all the windows are closed, since there's a storm rolling in.

After leaving Jeremy's room, Elena heads for Phoebe's room. She knocks on her door, but there's no answer. She knocks again, while openning the door to find Phoebe isn't there. Her bed is still made, and she's nowhere else in her room. Becoming alarmed, Elena runs back to her room, grabs her phone, and calls Phoebe.

"Come on, Phoebe, pick up," Elena muttered to herself, as the phone rang.

Phoebe - still sleeping in Damon's bed - reaches over the side of the bed, feeling around for her phone. She rotates her head to look at the floor, and reaches for the light. She grabbed it, slid her finger over the green part of the screen, and said in a questioning tone, "Hello?"

"Oh, thank god. Where are you?" Elena asked her.

"The Boarding House," Phoebe answered, sleepily. "Why?"

"There's a storm rolling in. I was gonna tell you to make sure your window was closed, but you weren't in your room," said Elena. "I thought you came home, after leaving the Grill."

Lightening flashed outside, closely followed by a crack of thunder. Phoebe sat up in Damon's bed, "I drove Damon home, and we talked."

"I take it everything's okay between you two, now. Otherwise you'd be here, instead of their library," Elena noted.

"I'm not in the library," said Phoebe, through a yawn.

"Then where are you?" Elena asked, somewhat confused. She was expecting Phoebe to tell her she was in the living room or in one of the many other rooms of the house, but that's not what Phoebe's answer was.

"Damon's bed," said Phoebe. The words left her mouth, before she could process just how bad they sounded. And in that moment, Phoebe felt like Damon did most of the time: like banging her head against something hard for being so stupid. Her hand shot up to make contact with her face, "That didn't come out right. Some of the books I was looking for weren't in the library. Damon said they were in here, so I came in here to get them, and -"

"You magically fell into Damon's bed?" Elena joked.

"More like a running jump onto it. This bed is huge...and comfy... _really_ comfy. Anyway, I just fell asleep," Phoebe corrected.

"Did you taste his porridge, too?" Elena teased.

"...you're not funny," Phoebe replied, fighting back a laugh.

Elena laughed, "I'll bring you some clothes in the morning. Goodnight."

"Thanks. Night," said Phoebe. Since she couldn't see to end the call, she just locked the phone, then flopped back down.

Unfortunately for Phoebe, the call had woken her up too much for her to go back to sleep anytime soon, so she decided to get up. She found her glasses, and walked downstairs, where they brothers were still cleaning up the mess in the living room. Either she hadn't been asleep for long, before Elena called, or there was more to clean up than she thought.

As Phoebe approached the living room, she could hear Damon and Stefan arguing.

"I can't believe you didn't tell me about this," said Stefan, cleaning the glass up off the floor.

"You were on your little double-date thing with Elena, pretending to be normal," Damon argued, boarding up the broken window.

"Boo!" said Phoebe. Both brothers jumped. "Wow. I snuck up on two vampires. Either I'm just that good, or whatever's going on is pretty bad."

"What makes you think there's something going on?" Damon asked.

"Oh, I don't know, maybe the bloody hole in Stefan's shirt. Or the smashed in window. _Or_ maybe, just maybe, the dead vampire I saw you guys tossing into the fireplace earlier," Phoebe replied, sarcastically.

The brothers exchanged looks, then told her everything. The dead vampire and the other one that had attacked them, were from the tomb. They told her that something went wrong when Sheila and Bonnie tried to put the seal back up, and now all the tomb vampires were out. Damon told her about his visit from Pearl and Anna, and how he'd agreed to her terms after she shoved her thumbs into his eyes.

"Ouch," said Phoebe, instinctively reaching up to touch her eyes.

"Yeah," Damon agreed.

"So...what do we do about all the fun new vampires in town?" Phoebe asked, with false enthusiasm.

"I say we go to Pearl's, bust down the door, and annihilate the idiot that attacked us," said Damon.

"Yeah, and then what? We turn to the rest of the house full of vampires, and say 'Oops. Sorry.'?" Stefan asked.

"He has a point, Damon," Phoebe agreed. "You said you made a deal with her - even if it was cohersed - but isn't there some way you guys can sit down with her and make some kind of peace treaty? You won't go after them, if they don't come after you?"

"Doubt it," Damon scoffed.

"Don't worry about it, we'll figure something out," Stefan assured her. "Just do me a favor and don't tell Elena, okay? I'll tell her once we've figured something out."

"Well, I hope you have something figured out by tomorrow morning, because she's gonna see that right there, and ask questions," Phoebe told him, pointing at the boarded up window.

Damon looked at his brother with a somewhat disgusted expression, "Ugh, you spent all night with her. Why does she have to see you tomorrow, too?"

"I realize that - for someone who's gone 150 years without seeing the person they love - this may be a hard concept to grasp, but that's not how love works," Stefan retorted.

Phoebe took a pillow from the couch and tossed it at Stefan, hitting him on the head. Both brothers turned to look at her with furrowed eyebrows. Phoebe shook her finger at Stefan, disapprovingly, "Not nice."

Stefan nodded at her, then apologized to his brother.

At the Vampire House, Frederick wants to go on a bloodrun with Anna, but Pearl won't allow him to. While Pearl plans her next trip into town – where she will continue her research on how to get their town back – Frederick allies with the rest of the vampires, who all want to take their revenge on the Salvatore brothers.

The next morning at the Salvatore House, Elena arrived with a bag for Phoebe. She packed her a change of clothes and the books she was ready to return. While she exchanged the old books for new ones, Stefan filled Elena in on what happened last night. She wasn't happy about him wanting her to stay out of it, but agreed to do it anyway.

Meanwhile, Anna and Jeremy meet at the Grill, where Jeremy tries once again to convince Anna to turn him. She comments on his bracelet with the vervain that Elena gave him. Jeremy offers to give it to her since she likes it so much, but she tells him to keep wearing it. A while later, Pearl enters the Grill to find Anna. Anna gets up and walks away from Jeremy, sending him a text explaining that her mother walked in. On their way out they run into Mayor Lockwood and Tyler. The Mayor asks them not to go out in the storm and invites them to join them, but Pearl declines. She hears his name on her way out and changes her mind.

At the bar, Matt complains to Caroline about his mom's behavior last night. Feeling more confident now that she knows he wants to be with her and not Phoebe, she encourages him to give Kelly a chance - she might surprise him. Matt wishes her safe travel, while she attends her dad's boyfriend's daughter's birthday party out of town, and kisses her goodbye.

Back at the Salvatore House, Damon winds the clocks in the house, while Phoebe takes over his shower. As he winds the last one, he notices Stefan heading out.

"Hunting Party?" Damon asked.

"That guy did a number on me last night, when he stabbed me. I gotta get my strength back up," Stefan replied.

"I've got 2 liters of soccer mom in the fridge," Damon offered.

"Eww. That just doesn't sound healthy, even for a vampire," Phoebe remarked, entering the room. She was drying her hair with a towel. "By the way, I was right. I love your shower."

Stefan smiled, then told Damon, "We'll talk when I get back."

"Alright. Give my regards to the squirrels," Damon called after him.

Phoebe frowned and mumbled, "Poor little guys."

While hunting, Frederick and the other vampires surround Stefan, and take him prisoner. After a while, Damon grows concerned that his brother hasn't returned yet. He tries calling him, but he doesn't answer. He asks Phoebe to call Elena to see if he's with her, but Phoebe just got off the phone with her sister, and Stefan isn't there.

"Where could he be?" Phoebe asked.

"You're not gonna like what I'm thinking," he told her.

Phoebe made a face that said she was thinking what he was, "The tomb vampires."

"Mhmm."

"But what would they want with him?" Phoebe asked.

"There's only one way to find out," said Damon.

The two hopped into Damon's Camero, and headed for the Vampire House. Damon parked a little ways out, so they wouldn't be able to sense Phoebe. He also made her stay in the car, while he walked up to the front door to talk to Pearl. However, Pearl isn't the one to answer the door. Frederick is.

Damon asks Frederick where Stefan is, and Frederick shows him that Stefan is inside with them. Seeing Stefan hobbled over in pain, Damon tries to enter the house to help him, but finds he can't. Frederick informs him that he has to be invited, then compels the owner of the house to never invite Damon in. He then goes on to explain why they're doing this. They blame the brothers for their suffering in the tomb, because of Katherine's infatuation with the two of them. With that, Frederick shuts the door on Damon's face.

Back at the car, Phoebe waits for Damon to return, hoping he hasn't been taken, too. She feels a wave of relief, when she sees him coming out of the woods. She meets him outside the car, holding an umbrella.

"What happened? Do they have him?" Phoebe asked.

"They have him," Damon confirmed, stepping under the umbrella. "I couldn't get in."

"Why not?"

"Because the woman who owns the house is compelled to not let me in," Damon told her.

Phoebe shook her head, and shrugged her shoulders, "Why are they doing this? What do they want with him?"

"Revenge. They want revenge," Damon answered.

"For what? You two never did anything to them," Phoebe said.

"They blame Katherine for getting trapped in the tomb, in the first place. If she hadn't been so infatuated with the both of us -," Damon began.

Phoebe finished his thought, "Then she wouldn't have drawn so much attention to herself and the other vampires in town."

Damon nodded.

"We've gotta get him out of there," Phoebe stated.

"I know."

"Before Elena finds out he's missing," she added.

"I know."

"We're gonna need help. Someone who isn't a vampire, so they can go in uninvited," said Phoebe. "We can't do this armed with just my brains and your brauns."

"Did you have anyone in mind?" Damon asked.

Phoebe nodded, thoughtfully, "Yeah, actually, I do."

"Who?"

"You're not gonna like what _I'm_ thinking," Phoebe told him.

Damon thought for a moment, then caught on. He didn't say anything, but he made a face. The two go to the school to ask Alaric Saltzman's help; since he knows about vampires, has weapons, and the ring that protects him. Meanwhile, the vampires keep torturing Stefan by stringing him up on vervain-laced ropes and stabbing him. Harper shows up and tries to stop them – since Pearl would not agree to this – but the other vampires tie him up as well and stake him through the legs.

At the school, Alaric declines to help them, but he accepts when Damon tells him that Pearl can lead him to Isobel. Rick laid out his weapons on his desk, while they come up with a rescue plan.

"Teacher by day, vampire hunter by night," Damon joked.

"I have you to thank for that," Rick sniped.

"What are these?" Phoebe asked, indicating to the dart-like things. She could've guessed what they were, but she just wanted to distract the men from bickering the way they had only moments ago.

"Those are tranquilizer darts filled with vervain," Rick answered.

"Just get me in. I'll get Stefan out," Damon told him.

" _That's_ your plan?" Phoebe questioned. "You're just gonna take them all on yourself?"

"Well, I'll be a little stealthier than that, hopefully," Damon replied.

Phoebe picked up one of the darts.

"Whoa. What are you doing?" Rick asked her.

"I'm going with you guys," Phoebe replied, as though it were obvious.

"No. No. No. No. No way," said Damon, dismissively.

"You need me," Phoebe argued. "I can get in without being invited. I can help."

"You'll get yourself killed. You're not going in there," Damon told her, with the same dismissive tone as before.

Phoebe began to grow angry, "I'm going."

Damon addressed Rick, ignoring Phoebe altogether, "So when you get me in, get out as quickly as you can. 'Cause I know how to sneak around where they can't hear me. You'll basically just be in the way."

"Damon, now's not the time to be the lone ranger," Phoebe sniped, still frustrated.

"Fine. Phoebe, you can drive the getaway car," Damon told her. He said it as though she were the least useful member of the team, and he was trying to make up something she could do to make her feel useful.

Phoebe began to understand the urge everyone always had to hit him, as she snapped, "Can you just not joke around for, like, 2 seconds?"

"I can't protect you, Phoebe," he snapped back. "I don't know how many vampires there are in there."

Phoebe openned her mouth to argue, but Damon didn't give her the chance. Damon snapped his fingers, "That's how long it takes you to get your head ripped off. I have to be able to get in and get out. I can't be distracted with your safety. Or this will end up a bloodbath that none of us walk away from."

Phoebe didn't miss a beat, "And what about me, Damon? You've gone on and on about your concerns for my safety, but what about my concerns for yours?"

Damon became very confused, and didn't know how to respond. He wasn't used to someone even remotely caring whether he lived or died.

"You said it yourself, they blame both Stefan _and_ you for their entrapment in the tomb. They want revenge on _both_ of you, Damon," Phoebe continued. "H-How do we know that you going in there isn't exactly what they want? They may have taken Stefan first, because he w-was easier to get alone and overpower. They could be planning something more complex for you, because - no offense to Stefan - you're more clever than he is. I-If you take the game onto their terf, they'll have the advantage. They already have the numbers."

Damon noticed her growning more frantic with each word. She struggled to get the words out, she emphasized with hand gestures to hide the fact that her hands were beginning to shake, her heart-rate increased, and her eyes were beginning to water - though not enough to fall. Rick didn't know what to do, he'd never seen her like this before. Damon had, once, so he had to guess on how to calm her.

Damon grabbed her hands and held them in his, "Phoebe, calm down. Getting yourself all worked up isn't going to help."

Phoebe closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly.

"The panic you're feeling right now, is _exactly_ why I don't want you in that house," Damon told her.

Phoebe openned her eyes, and looked into his. To Rick, Damon just sounded like he was worried she'd freeze up in a panic, if she went inside with them. But the look in Damon's eyes told Phoebe he felt just as much panic over the possibility of her getting hurt, as she did for him. Phoebe looked away and, reluctantly, nodded in agreement.

"If we're gonna go, let's go," said Rick. He gathered up his weapons - minus the one Phoebe still held - and headed out, followed by Damon.

The trio all ride in Damon's car. On their way to the Vampire House, Elena - who happened to be out - sees them all in the car together. She finds it suspicious, and follows them. She doesn't catch up, until Rick and Damon have already disappeared from sight, heading for the house. She knocks on Phoebe's door, scaring the crap out of her.

"Elena? What are you doing here?" Phoebe asked, stepping out of the car and under Elena's umbrella.

"I was just about to ask you the same thing," Elena replied. "What's going on with you, Damon, and Mr, Saltzman?"

Phoebe started to lie to her, but then thought about how she'd feel if she were in her sister's shoes, and it were Damon in trouble. Phoebe sighed, "It's about Stefan."

"What about Stefan?" Elena asked, nervously.

As Phoebe thought of where to begin, she had another realization: she couldn't leave Damon to do this alone. Phoebe reached in the car, and grabbed the dart, "I'll explain on the way."

Meanwhile at the Vampire House, Rick knocks on the door pretending to need a phone, because his car broke down. Frederick answers the door, and orders one of the other vampires to show Rick to the phone in the kitchen. There he stakes the vampire and leads the owner of the house – who was there – to the door for Damon. Damon asks if there are any other living people who live in this house. After assuring him that there are not, he breaks her neck and enters the house.

Back at the Grill, Pearl tries to get as many details as she can from the Mayor about his family. Anna and Jeremy exchange texts from across the room, which Pearl notices. She asks the Mayor who the boy is and he tells her that his name is Jeremy Gilbert. Pearl follows her daughter to the ladies' room and confronts her about Jeremy. She reminds her the Gilbert family is the reason she was trapped in the tomb for over a century, and tells her to stop seeing him. That when he finds out what she is he will turn on her. Anna insists that Jeremy isn't like that, and that he already knows. Pearl slaps her, and Anna walks out of the Grill texting Jeremy: "I'll do it".

In the Vampire House, Damon continues looking for Stefan, killing the other vampires in the process. Alaric returns to the car, but Phoebe isn't there. He heads back to the house, knowing that she went there to help Damon.

Phoebe and Elena sneak into the house via outside stairs leading down to the basement. The door at the base of the stairs is locked, so they have to break in. Once inside, Elena peers around the corner to check for vampires.

"There's a vampire at the end of the hall," Elena informed, with a whisper.

"How did he not hear us breaking in?" Phoebe asked, in the same hushed tone.

"I don't know. I think he has headphones in his ears," Elena answered.

"Ah," said Phoebe. She thought for a moment, and then looked as though a light bulb had gone off in her brain.

"What?" Elena asked, noticing her sister's face. She almost seemed sorry to ask.

"I think I have an idea," said Phoebe.

"I'm not gonna like this idea, am I?" Elena asked, somewhat rhetorically.

It didn't matter if it was or not, because Phoebe ignored the question entirely, "I'm gonna stand out in the open, to get his attention. When he comes over here, you jab him with the vervain tranquilizer."

"Phoebe, no!" Elena exclaimed, still in a whisper. Phoebe didn't listen, though. She stepped out into the open, and cleared her throat.

The vampire turned off his music and stood up, "Katherine?"

Phoebe didn't say anything, as the vampire walked closer to her. When he was close enough, Elena tried to stab him with the tranquilizer, but he caught her hand mid-air. Phoebe tried to help, but he grabbed her by the throat. The vampire looked back and forth between the twins in confusion. This gave Damon the opportunity to take him down.

Once the vampire was down, Damon looked at Phoebe disapprovingly, "Are you insane?"

Phoebe coughed a little, before answering, "Maybe."

Together the trio find Stefan, and free him. Damon tries to kill Harper, but Stefan stops him. Damon tells the twins to get Stefan out, while he distracts the other vampires. Phoebe tells him to be careful, before he goes.

Upstairs, Damon fights with Frederick and two other vampires. Alaric shows up and helps him, but Frederick escapes. Damon searches the house for him, but he isn't there. They try to leave and return to the car, but a bunch of vampires appear and block their path. Pearl and Anna return home to find them inside. Damon explains what happened, before he and Alaric walk out the door, leaving Pearl and Anna behind with all the vampire bodies.

Stefan and the twins make it back to the car, but the ignition has been ripped out. Frederick shows up and attacks Stefan. He is about to kill him, when Elena stabs him in the back with the tranquilizer dart. Stefan tells the girls to run, but Elena offers him her wrist to drink from so he can regain his strength. Stefan tries to resist, but eventually he drinks and regains the strength to kill Frederick.

In the meantime, Caroline has gotten stuck in the mud, after driving through the backwoods – the main roads are closed. She has no cell reception, so she decides to get out to try and get one. She falls down and grabs a tree root to steady herself, only to discover that it is a human arm.

At the Donovan House, Matt and Kelly are talking over dinner, when the doorbell rings. It's Caroline and her mom, Liz. They inform Kelly and Matt that they found Vicky's body. Liz calls the Mayor to let him know, too. When he tells Tyler they have to go, he tells him about Vicky, which Jeremy also hears.

Once safely at the Salvatore House, Elena and Stefan talk in his room about what happened. Downstairs in the living room, Damon scolds Phoebe for going into the house, after he told her not to.

"Well, I was going to stay in the car, like you asked, but then Elena showed up and I realized that I didn't want to sit in the car," Phoebe explained.

"Well, _I_ didn't _want_ you in that house, but you went in anyways," Damon replied.

"I know, Damon, but I physically could _not_ sit there and do nothing," said Phoebe.

"Why?"

"I told you why," said Phoebe.

"No, why does it matter to you whether I live or die?" Damon asked her.

"Why does it matter to you whether _I_ live or die?" Phoebe countered.

Neither one answered the other's question. They just stood there staring at each other, until Phoebe's phone rang. It was Jeremy. When Phoebe hung up the phone, her expression was sad.

"What happened?" Damon asked.

"They just found Vicki Donovan's body…she's dead," Phoebe answered. Damon's expression changed, but it wasn't one of empathy. Unfortunately for Damon, Phoebe noticed this. "What was that?"

"What was what?" Damon asked.

"Your face," she told him. Then it hit her. "You already knew she was dead, didn't you?"

Damon sighed.

"Please tell me you didn't kill her," Phoebe begged.

"I didn't kill her…Stefan did," Damon replied.

"What?!"

"After she bit you, Stefan staked her. She was out of control," Damon explained.

Phoebe struggled to remember, "Why don't I remember that?"

"Because you asked me to compel you to forget that she died," Damon told her. "You said you couldn't lie to Matt, because he knew you too well."

Phoebe sat down, "So she's been dead since Halloween night."

"Yeah," Damon confirmed, in a soft voice.

Phoebe went into auto mode. Ignoring Damon, she got to her feet and went upstairs to tell Elena. Elena drove the two of them over to Matt's House to be there for him and Kelly. When they got there, Elena made the rounds to console Jeremy, Caroline, Tyler, and Kelly. Phoebe, on the other hand, headed straight for Matt.

Before the twins had arrived, Caroline had tried to be there for her boyfriend, but he only shut her out. Once Phoebe arrived, however, he finally broke down and cried in her arms. Caroline felt a little twinge of jealousy, but fought it back due to the circumstances. Meanwhile, Damon sits next to Alaric at the bar for a drink. He tries to have a friendly talk with him, but Alaric punches him and leaves.

Later at home, Jeremy finds Anna waiting in his room. Anna realizes that Jeremy only wanted to turn to find Vicky, and takes off before Jeremy apologizes. At the Salvatore House, Damon returns home to find IV blood bags all over the place, and Stefan still drinking from one.


	18. Under Control

Chapter 18: Under Control

It's been a few days since Stefan binged on all the blood bags in the house, and he's doing his best to keep himself under control. While Stefan is doing a morning workout, Damon enters – carrying a glass of blood – commenting on his loud music. Damon tries convincing his brother that there's nothing wrong with drinking from a blood bag, because you aren't actually killing anyone, but Stefan still refuses. He claims that there are other reasons for not drinking human blood, which he refuses to share with Damon. Damon eventually gives up, and leaves his brother to his workout.

Meanwhile at the Gilbert House, the Gilbert children are getting ready to leave for school. As Elena calls up the stairs for Jeremy to hurry, Phoebe opens the front door. On the porch is a man who appears to have been preparing to knock on the door, just before Phoebe opened it.

"Uncle John!" Phoebe cried, throwing her arms around him.

John hugged her back, "Good to see you, too, Phoebe."

"Uncle John. Hi," Elena greeted. She was far less enthused than Phoebe.

"Elena," John replied, releasing Phoebe. He greeted Jenna next. "Jenna."

"John. You made it," Jenna replied, even less enthused than Elena.

"I said I'd be here by noon," John told her, entering the house.

"Well, what you say and what you do are typically 2 very different things," Jenna remarked.

"Uncle John," said Jeremy, coming down the stairs. "What's up?"

"Hey," John greeted, with a smile. "I had some business in town. I thought a visit was in order."

"How long are you staying?" Phoebe asked, somewhat excitedly.

"I don't know yet," John replied.

"Well, we gotta go to school. We'll see you later," said Elena, following Jeremy out to the car.

Before Phoebe could follow as well, John stopped her, "Phoebe, wait. I got you something."

Phoebe watched with anticipation, as John pulled a collectible leather-bound book from his bag. He handed it to Phoebe, as he told her, "I thought of you the moment I saw it."

Phoebe read the cover, and her smile grew, "The Martian Chronicles, The Illustrated Man, and The Golden Apples of the Sun by Ray Bradbury! Thank you, Uncle John, I love it!"

"You're welcome," John replied, while Phoebe kissed his cheek. Elena honked the car's horn, and Phoebe ran out to join her siblings in the car.

After the kids leave for school, John and Jenna talk about why he's there. He tells Jenna that she can't sell his brother's building to Pearl, but Jenna argues that it's up to the kids to decide. John points out that they're all three minors, and it's ultimately up to the estate's trustee –which is John.

At school, Phoebe shows off her new book to Matt, and tells him that Uncle John is in town for a little bit.

"Uncle John. I gotta be honest, I've never really liked that guy," said Matt.

"I seem to be the only one who does," Phoebe replied. "But that's because he's my favorite uncle."

"He's your _only_ uncle," Matt noted.

"Yeah, but that just makes him more like highlander…there can be only one," Phoebe joked.

Matt laughed, "Someone's in a good mood."

"I'm sorry. Is it too soon to be so cheerful?" Phoebe asked.

"No, I could use a dose of cheerful," Matt told her. "Thank you, by the way. For just – for everything you did at Vicki's funeral and her memorial. I couldn't have done it without you."

"That's what best friends are for," Phoebe replied.

Matt nodded.

"So is Caroline still baking for you guys around the clock?" Phoebe asked.

Matt laughed, "She finally went to her dad's, which is a good thing; because my mom was gonna strangle her if she dropped off more lasagna."

"Darn it," Phoebe joked, snapping her fingers.

Jeremy is in the stoner pit sitting on a couch, listening to music. Tyler sits next to him, and offers him a joint, but Jeremy declines. After a beat, Tyler brings up the rumor that Vicki's cause of death was an overdose. Jeremy replies that he doesn't understand it, because she seemed to be doing okay before she left town. He also points out how she ended up buried in the woods. Tyler responds that it was probably done by whoever was with her when she overdosed so they wouldn't get into trouble. Jeremy maintains that it's an awful lot of work to go through just to get out of trouble.

Meanwhile, Damon arrives at the Founder's Hall for the Council meeting. Sheriff Forbes updates the Council on the death of Vicki Donovan. Mayor Lockwood thanks her for the update and announces that John Gilbert has asked to speak in front of the Council, which surprises Damon. John comes forward to report that a hospital blood bank in nearby Amherst has reported several break-ins over the past two weeks, and in addition, seven hunters, four campers and two state park employees have been reported missing as well within a 75 mile radius of Mystic Falls. Damon whispers to Sheriff Forbes to ask her who John is, and she explains that he is Elena, Phoebe, and Jeremy's uncle. Mayor Lockwood interrupts John to assure everyone not to be alarmed. John explains that the Council thinks all of their problems are over, but nothing has been solved.

Back at school, Alaric shows Elena Jeremy's paper on vampires in Mystic Falls. Elena is in shock that Jeremy wrote something like that, but Alaric tries to reassure her that Jeremy told him that he didn't believe any of it was real. Elena replies that she hopes he is right, because she's done too much already to protect him from the supernatural world. Alaric asks her how she and Phoebe deal with the lies and secrets surrounding Stefan and Damon being vampires, since they're lying to everyone they care about. Elena explains that it's not safe for Jeremy, or Jenna, or their friends to know the truth. She says they don't like keeping things from them, but are willing to do it if it keeps them safe. Alaric admits that he thinks Stefan is a good guy, but in the end, he's still a vampire, just like Damon. Elena says she knows Stefan is different and would never do anything that would hurt her. Rick buys that, but isn't so sure about Damon. Elena has no response.

Later that night at the Gilbert House, John, Jeremy, and Phoebe sit at the kitchen table eating dinner; while Jenna stands at the counter eating, and Elena is upstairs with Stefan. John mentions something about attending the Founders' Day Kick-Off Party, but Jeremy doesn't want to go.

"I have no interest in the Founders' Day Kick-Off Party," said Jeremy.

"Sure you do. It's tradition," John told him.

"Far be it from us to break from tradition," Jenna snarked.

"The Gilberts have been a part of this town for 150 years, one of the founding families," John began. "And with that distinction comes certain obligations, including going to the party."

Jeremy and Phoebe exchanged looks that said, "Yeah, whatever.".

"One day, when you can appreciate the significance, I'll tell you all about your heritage," John added.

"Hmm. The Gilbert family legacy," Jenna commented. "I forgot how sacred it was."

Jeremy and Phoebe exchanged glances.

"I'm not a Gilbert, so I was never cool enough to hear it," Jenna snarked.

Jeremy leaned closer to John, "Why does she hate you?"

"We used to sleep together," John replied, casually.

Phoebe joked on the soda she was drinking, and looked at John to see if he was joking. Jenna threw a bag of something at John, hitting him in the head. John looked at her with wide eyes, as the siblings looked at each other with the same expression.

"I am standing right here," Jenna said to John.

Up in Elena's bedroom, Elena and Stefan are talking about Jeremy's report on vampires, and if Stefan thinks Jeremy's compulsion is wearing off. Stefan assures her that Damon took away those memories for good, and that she shouldn't worry about it. He asks her why she doesn't just ask him, because if he doesn't know anything, then it's just an innocent question. Elena explainsthat she doesn't know how to talk to him anymore; they used to be more open with each other, but now all these secrets are piling up, and she hasn't even told him that she and Phoebe are adopted yet. Stefan suggests that perhaps she should open up to him; she doesn't have to tell him anything, but she could at least find out what he knows so she can be prepared for it.

Elena then asks him how he's doing. He reassures her that he's doing much better, although he is still on edge. Elena admits that she's missed him a lot, and kisses him. They start kissing more passionately, and Stefan lays Elena down on her bed. Soon, Elena rolls on top of him, but Stefan rolls back on top more aggressively. He stops kissing her for a moment and his vampire face emerges. He pushed himself away so hard that he throws himself against the wall, breaking the lamp on Elena's desk. Elena looks at him with a worried expression.

The next morning, Phoebe calls Damon over to talk to him about Stefan. As she lets him in, she thanks him for coming.

"You call, I come. I'm easy like that," he joked.

Phoebe smiles and gestures for him to follow her upstairs, but he sees Jeremy eating at the kitchen table and loudly proclaims, "No, Phoebe, I will not go to your bedroom with you!"

Phoebe reached back, grabbed him by the jacket, and pulled him up the stairs. Damon grinned, pleased with himself. Once in her room, Damon commented, "Ah. Just like I remember."

"You act like it's been ages since you've been in here," Phoebe replied.

Damon flopped down on her bed, plopping her stuffed pig onto his lap. He did a double-take at the pig, then asked, "Is this a pig?"

"Yes," Phoebe replied, simply.

"Why a pig?" he questioned.

"Why not a pig?" Phoebe countered.

"What's wrong with having a teddy-bear, like a normal person?" he pressed.

"What's wrong with having a pig, like an abnormal person?" she argued.

Damon rolled his eyes, "Did you know that your uncle's been kickin' it with the Founders' Council?"

"What?"

"Yep."

Phoebe thought about it for a moment, then noted, "Actually, now that I think about it, it doesn't sound all that surprising."

Damon bounced his eyebrows in a manner that said, "True.".

"Anyway, Elena's worried about Stefan," said Phoebe, moving on.

"What else is new?" Damon questioned, rhetorically.

"She said he still seems to be struggling," said Phoebe. "How much longer is it gonna take before he's back to normal?"

Damon shrugged, "Few days, give or take."

"It's been a few days," Phoebe reminded.

"Give, then," said Damon. "I don't know. What's the big deal?"

"He's not himself, Damon," said Phoebe.

"Well, maybe his problem is he's spent too long _not_ being himself," Damon suggested. As he did, he flipped through Phoebe's sketch journal that was sitting on her nightstand. He stopped on one of him in his Confederate Army uniform, and stared at it in awe. It wasn't quite finished, but it was still good.

Phoebe snatched it out of his hands, and closed it. Damon smiled to himself, as she put it back down on the nightstand, and sat in front of him on the bed.

"The Stefan your sister knows is 'good behavior' Stefan, 'reign it in' Stefan, 'fight against his nature to an annoyingly obssessive level' Stefan, but if she thinks there's not another part to him, then she hasn't been paying attention," said Damon, sitting up in the bed. Rather than lean back against the headboard, he sat up next to Phoebe, their faces very close to one another. Damon added a 'tsk, tsk, tsk.' sound with his tongue.

"See you at the Founders' Party," he told her, getting to his feet. Phoebe flashed him a smile, and he left.

Meanwhile at the Salvatore Boarding House, Stefan is pacing around the library, looking for a book. He appears to be very anxious and wound-up, and pours himself a glass of scotch that he gulps down quickly.

Back at the Gilbert House, Elena and Phoebe pop into Jeremy's room and asks him if he has time to talk. When Jeremy says yes, they tell him they should get out of the house. While out the twins inform him that they were adopted. Jeremy is shocked that their parents never told them, but Phoebe is sure that they would have eventually, had they not died. Jeremy asks why they were so worried to tell him, and Elena confesses that she felt weird about it. Phoebe adds that he is their brother and always will be, no matter what. Jeremy smiles, and Elena uses the opportunity to bring up his vampire paper for Alaric's class. Jeremy mentions that Alaric has been really cool about helping him raise his grades and get extra credit. Elena asks him why he chose vampires, and he blames boredom, or the possibility that he is just as mental unstable as his ancestors were.

After catching up with one another, the Gilbert children return home to get ready for the Founders' Day Kick-Off Party. Phoebe put on a light layer of make-up, and left her hair down. In it's natural state it was curvy, with curls at the bottom, and looked like she had intentionally fixed it that way. She was about to put on her black dress that she wore to the last Founder's Party, when she had an idea.

Phoebe walked to Aunt Jenna's room, and knocked on the door.

"Come in!" Jenna called.

Phoebe stepped inside, and closed the door behind her.

"Phoebe, why aren't you dressed? We're leaving in a few minutes," Jenna reminded her.

"I know, and all I have to do _is_ get dressed," Phoebe replied. "I was just wondering if you had something...else that I could wear."

"What's wrong with the dress you have?" Jenna asked.

"Nothing, it's great. I just wanted something more...pretty?"

Jenna raised her eyebrows, and a grin played on her lips, "Something more _pretty_?"

Phoebe became nervous, "I-I-I don't know how to describe w-what I mean. I just-"

Jenna held up a hand, "It's okay, Phoebe, I know what you mean. It's just not like you to care about whether you look cute or not."

"I know," Phoebe mumbled.

Jenna looked through her closet for something Phoebe could wear. She found the perfect dress, and pulled it out. It was a pink cocktail dress with a blue lace overlay. The dress had a sheer, boat neckline and short-sleeve bodice. Dispite not being girly, Phoebe fell in love with the dress almost instantly.

Jenna held the dress up to Phoebe to get an idea of how she'd look in it, "Oh, yeah. There's no way Damon won't notice you in this."

Phoebe began to smile, but caught herself, "I didn't...this isn't for Damon."

"Whatever you say," said Jenna, with a grin. Phoebe took the dress and began to leave, but Jenna stopped her. "Do you want the shoes that go with that?"

"Shoes?" Phoebe questioned, still facing the door.

"Mhmm."

"My black flats won't go with it?" Phoebe asked. She still hadn't turned around.

"Nope."

Phoebe sighed with her entire body, and turned around like a child about to throw a tantrum, "Why does this crap have to be so complicated? I mean, in the animal kingdom it's the males that are all flashy trying to get _our_ attention."

Jenna held back a laugh, "I know. Being a woman is tough, but if you wanna catch their eye you gotta work for it."

Phoebe gave another sharp sigh, "...give me the stupid shoes..."

To Phoebe's relief, the shoes were _not_ heels. They were blue flats, with a strap around the ankle. Phoebe took the dress and shoes back to her room, and got dressed.

Damon and Stefan arrive at the Founder's Day 150 Year Anniversary Kickoff. Stefan is still anxious and says that he shouldn't be there. Damon tells him to quit being a downer, and that since they are from a Founding Family, it would be rude to skip. Stefan snarks that he liked Damon much better when he hated everyone, but Damon claims that he still does, but he just loves that they love him. After some laughs, Damon asks Stefan how he's feeling. Stefan only replies that he's fine, before telling him that he's going to find Elena. Once out of Damon's sight, Stefan grabs a glass of whiskey from a tray, downs it in one gulp, and places the glass on a table before moving on.

Meanwhile, Mayor Lockwood and Tyler are talking with Kelly and Matt Donovan. Kelly thanks him for reaching out to them, and the Mayor reminds her that Mystic Falls is one big family, and that they have to come together when they lose a member. When the Mayor and Tyler leave, Kelly snits that having a dead kid rates a special greeting from the mayor, which offends Matt. Kelly mutters that she needs a drink and leaves, just as Tyler returns with a bottle of vodka. Matt shrugs and drinks from the bottle.

The twins find Stefan by the bar, where he waves them over.

"Hey," Elena greeted, with a smile. Phoebe just waved.

"Hey. How are you?" Stefan asked, kissing Elena on the cheek.

Elena caught a wiff of alcohol, and asked him, "Are you drunk?"

Stefan cleared his throat, "Um...Okay, I know it's a little weird, but it's really helping me. The alcohol, it, uh...takes the edge off."

Phoebe saw her sisters concern, and did her best to lighten the mood with a joke, "You're totally that drunk high school guy, that goes to parties sneaking booze."

Stefan played along with the joke, "I totaly am. Yeah."

It was enough to get Elena to smile, but she still asked him, "How worried do I need to be?"

"Oh, no. You don't need to be worried," said Stefan. "It's just until, um, the cravings go away."

Elena nodded in response.

"Listen. I think we should enjoy it while it lasts," Stefan suggested. "Would you like to dance with me?"

Elena's eyebrows raised in surprise, "You hate dancing. I usually have to beg you."

"No, no, no. You have to beg the sober me. The drunk me, there's no begging necessary," Stefan explained.

"There's really no one dancing," Elena pointed out.

"That's because they need something better to dance to," said Stefan. He excused himself to compel the DJ to play something better. While he did, Phoebe encouraged her sister to do what Stefan suggested, and enjoy this rare party attitude. The music changed, and Stefan took Elena onto the dancefloor.

Damon appeared, joining Phoebe by the bar, "Have I entered an alternate universe where Stefan is fun?"

Phoebe smiled, "Is he gonna be okay?"

"Eventually," Damon replied, watching their siblings. He glanced at Phoebe out of the corner of his eye, and grinned. "You look amazing, by the way."

Phoebe continued to face forward as well, as she smiled and glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, "Thank you."

Damon moved from her side to stand in front of her, and took her hand. He kissed it, then asked, "Save a dance for me, later?"

"As long as Stefan doesn't drug you, and toss you in a cell, again," Phoebe joked.

"Well, as you like to say, I've been doing my best to play well with others, so there's not much chance of that happenig," he replied, and walked away.

Phoebe watched him walk away, then decided to walk around a little. After a few minutes of that, Jenna spotted her, and waved her over.

"What is with this music? Carole Lockwood is normally so anal about the music choice," Jenna commented.

"Uh, I think Stefan...persuaded the DJ," said Phoebe.

"Speaking of the Salvatore brothers, have you seen Damon yet?" Jenna asked, with an eager expression.

Phoebe fought a grin.

"That's a yes," Jenna noted. "What did he say?"

"He said...that I look amazing," Phoebe answered. She hadn't earlier, but with Jenna's giddiness, she began to blush.

"See? Didn't I tell you there was no way he wouldn't notice you in that?" Jenna asked, rhetorically.

Phoebe looked around for something else to talk about, and thankfully found it. Rick was coming their way. Phoebe looked at her aunt again, and told her, "History teacher, 3 o'clock."

"How do I look?" Jenna asked.

"Beautiful," said Phoebe.

"Ah, I been lookin' for you," said Rick.

"Here I am," said Jenna.

Rick laughed.

"I haven't seen you in a while," Jenna noted.

"Yeah. Well, uh, things have been a little crazy. Heh. But I'm here now," Rick explained. "Do you wanna get a drink?"

Jenna smiled, "Sure."

"Okay. Great," said Rick. He and Jenna headed off to get a drink, leaving Phoebe alone. She wasn't alone for long, though. Mere seconds later, Matt was at her side.

"When did this happen?" Matt asked, referring to the music.

"The DJ had a change of heart," Phoebe replied.

Matt nodded, then gestured to her outfit, "Wow. You look great."

Phoebe's face flushed again, "Thanks."

"So, uh, you wanna dance?" he asked.

"Uh, actually-," Phoebe began.

"Yes," Matt answered for her. Matt took hold of her and spun her out onto the dancefloor. Phoebe just giggled and went with it.

Meanwhile, Damon meets up with Liz Forbes and compliments her on looking gorgeous out of her police uniform. Liz graciously accepts his compliment, and confesses that while she had her doubts about him, he has won her over, just like everyone else on the Council. Damon thanks her and tells her he's happy to be back in Mystic Falls and involved in the community, and admits that it's beginning to feel like home again. Liz is forced to disappoint him by telling him that John Gilbert's claims checked out. The blood bank robberies and missing people are true; they may have another vampire problem. Jeremy interrupts their conversation to ask about the investigation into Vicki's death. Liz tries to assure him that it was an overdose, but he still doesn't understand why someone would bury her body. Damon is noticeably uncomfortable, and Liz admits that while the investigation is still ongoing, there's nothing more to tell him. Jeremy concedes and moves on.

On the dancefloor, Stefan spins Elena, and she accidentally bumps into a man. Elena apologizes for being clumsy, but the guy tells her to get off the dance floor. Elena's jaw drops, but Stefan grabs his arm and compels him to apologize. The man apologizes reluctantly, and Stefan repeats to apologize like he means it, which he does. Elena tells him it's fine, and Stefan tells him to walk away. Phoebe, who was still dancing with Matt, takes notice of Stefan's behavior. After the man leaves, Phoebe excuses herself to find Damon.

Phoebe found Damon at the bar in another room. She stood next to him, and asked, "Have you noticed what your brother's been up to?"

"Nope. I've been too preoccupied with yours," Damon replied. Phoebe gave him a questioning look, and he elaborated. "Jeremy's been asking questions about Vicki Donovan's death."

"He knows her death was ruled an overdose," Phoebe dismissed, nibbling on the bar snacks.

Damon began to mimmick Jeremy, "Oh, but Sheriff, someone buried her. Who would do that?"

Phoebe lifted an eyebrow at him. Damon raised his hand enthusiastically, as he continued, "I know, I know! Me!"

Phoebe laughed, and continued to nibble the pretzels.

"I mean, I could compel him, but he's wearing vervain," said Damon.

"No, I don't want you to compel him," Phoebe told him.

"If he keeps asking questions -," Damon began.

Phoebe cut him off, "No, Damon, I'm serious. I don't want to do that to him, again. I'll handle it."

Damon pulled a rose out of a nearby floral arrangement, and handed it to Phoebe, "Okay. Don't say I didn't warn you."

Phoebe accepted the rose, and smelled it. She looked Damon in the eye and told him, "I prefer Casablanca Lillies."

Damon rolled his eyes and stood up straight, "Pigs, Casablanca Lillies...Is there anything normal about you?"

Phoebe pretended to think, then answered with a smile, "Mmm...no."

Damon couldn't resist a grin, as he shook his head and walked away.

Elsewhere, Kelly finishes her drink and hides the glass in a plant. Tyler sees her and calls her out on it, but she just shushes him before asking where the bathroom is. Tyler tells her that he'll show her, while she grabs his glass out of his hand. She's happy to find that it's Vodka, not a soda.

On the balcony, John joins Damon and they exchange introductions. The two make small talk about how long they've each been back in town, and whether or not the vampire problem is real. John points out that it's just like 1864 all over again, with vampires running amok. He says they'll just have to hunt them all down, throw them in a church, and burn it down again. Damon acknowledges that it is the story, and John clarifies that it's only part of it. John explains about how the vampires were sealed in the tomb, waiting for someone to set them free, before pointing out that Damon already knew that. Damon looks uncomfortable, and asks why he's telling him this. John replies that he thought they should get the introductions out of the way. Damon reminds him that he could rip his throat out before anyone would notice, but he assumes he's probably taking vervain. John dares him to take a bite and find out, but Damon declares it unworthy of his time. Damon begins to leave, before flitting back, snapping John's neck, and throwing the body off the balcony.

After leaving the bar, Phoebe began looking for Jeremy. She finds him sitting alone in the Mayor's office, staring into the fireplace. Phoebe took a seat next to her brother, "Jer?"

Jeremy looked away from the fire to acknowledge her presence.

"I, um - I heard about your conversation with Sheriff Forbes," said Phoebe.

"No one is trying to figure out what happened to her," replied Jeremy. "They're all willing to believe she ODed."

"The Coroner's Office confirmed it," said Phoebe. "If that's what they said happened, then-"

"Is that what you believe?" Jeremy challenged.

"What do _you_ think happened?" Phoebe countered.

"I think somebody killed her and buried her body. But I don't think we should write it off just 'cause it's easy," Jeremy answered.

"They're just doing what they can to move on," said Phoebe.

"The truth is the only thing that's gonna help people move on," Jeremy argued.

Phoebe didn't say anything. She just looked at him with pride, her mouth turning up at the corners.

Jeremy furrowed his eyebrows, "What? Why are you smiling?"

"Because unlike Elena, you're not content to live in a world of naivete and narrow-mindedness. You refuse to believe everything you're told, because you need to see it to believe it. You pay attention to the world around you, you see what goes on, you read between the lines...You're like me," Phoebe answered.

"So I was right, something did happen to Vicki?" Jeremy asked.

"Yes."

"Tell me," he demanded.

"It's a long story, and we can _not_ talk about it here," said Phoebe. She got to her feet, and gestured for him to follow her. "Let's go home."

Outside on the back patio, Kelly and Tyler are stumbling around drunk. Kelly notes that Matt will kill her for getting out of control again, but Tyler assures her that he won't notice, because Matt is letting himself have fun for once. Kelly says she should be on her best behavior after Vicki's death, but she doesn't want to think about it. Tyler admits that he wasn't good to her, and that he hates that he can't make any of it right. Kelly tells him he's nice for talking to her, and laments that she's all alone. Tyler confesses that he's all alone too.

Inside, Matt runs into Elena, and he jokes that he never knew what fun he was missing at Founders' Parties. Elena assures him that it's rare for them to be this enjoyable. The pair step outside for some air, and stumble upon Kelly and Tyler making out. Matt - still buzzed - yanks Tyler away from his mother and punches him in the face. Tyler hits him back, and Matt falls to the floor - still fighting. Tyler goes overboard wailing on Matt relentlessly. Thankfully, Mr. Saltzman hears the commotion and steps in to help. He pulls Tyler off of Matt, while Elena takes care of Matt. The Mayor arrives and asks his son if he's alright. Tyller nods, and his father sends him inside to get cleaned up. Mayor Lockwood deflects the onlookers' attentions back to the party, and ushers them back inside.

Back inside, Damon tracks down Stefan to tell him the bad new and the even worse news that he has. He finds Stefan and, though Stefan tells him he doesn't want to hear any news, Damon still tells him that the Council is in vampire-mode again, and that he just killed John Gilbert. Damon then leaves Stefan to think about what he just said. Stefan tries to follow him, but gets sidetracked when he catches the smell of blood in the air. He follows it and finds Kelly Donovan crying with a cut on her head. It takes Stefan everything he has to walk away from her. He goes outside for air, and to clear his head.

Later, the Mayor thanks everyone for coming and announces that he's invited John Gilbert to ring the official charter bell. Damon is shocked to see John join him up front and ring the bell. Damon finds Rick and tells him to look at John's right hand. Rick notices that the ring looks just like his. Damon points out that it would be a coincidence if he hadn't just come back to life five minutes ago. When asked, Alaric informs Damon that he got the ring from his wife, Isobel. Damon then remarks, "Who gave birth to Phoebe and Elena, under the medical care of the esteemed Dr. Grayson Gilbert, John's brother!"

Out in the parking lot, Stefan is trying to pull himself together. As he walks around, the man he compelled to apologize to Elena earlier steps out and pushes Stefan. He apologizes to Stefan, then does it again. Stefan tries to politely ask him to leave him alone, but the man persists, telling him that all he can do is apologize and he doesn't know why. Stefan, once again, asks him to leave him be. The man throws a punch, but Stefan catches it mid-air. He squeezes the man's fist, bringing him to the ground. As the man tries to crawl away, Stefan's face changes.

Meanwhile at the Gilbert House, Phoebe and Jeremy arrive home. Phoebe refused to say a word the whole way home, dispite Jeremy's attempt to make her. They sat at the kitchen table for their talk, because Phoebe didn't want anyone to come home unnoticed and overhear their conversation.

"Now will you tell me what you know? Or do you wanna make some tea, too?" Jeremy asked in a heavily sarcastic manner.

"Before I can tell you what I know, I need to know what Anna's already told you," said Phoebe.

Jeremy blinked, "Anna doesn't even know Vicki."

"That's not what I asked," said Phoebe. "Look, I get it. It's not your secret to tell, and I'm sure she's told how dangerous it is to even know about vampires, but...this conversation isn't going to get us anywhere, if you and I keep things from each other."

Jeremy hesitated, "...You know about Anna?"

Phoebe nodded.

"How?"

"It's a long story," said Phoebe.

Over the next hour or so, Phoebe told her brother everything that had happened since the Salvatore brothers had come back to Mystic Falls - the parts he needed to know, at least. This included Anna taking her, Elena, and Bonnie hostage; and how she had initially planned to feed Jeremy to her mother when she got her out of the tomb. Like she did with Damon, she defended Anna's actions when she was forced to tell Jeremy something bad she had done.

She also explained the use of vervain, and by extension the importance of his bracelet from Elena. Jeremy had the same arguement that Phoebe had initially had: he trusted Anna and didn't feel he needed it. Phoebe told him how she felt the same way, when she first learned about it, but now knows just how handy it can be.

When she told Jeremy about Damon turning Vicki, she decided to change the reason he had done it. Rather than say it was because he was bored, she told him that Damon felt sorry for her and thought becoming a vampire would improve her life. In a way, it was true. She explained that Stefan had no choice but to kill Vicki, because she was out of control, and with her history of addiction problems it was unlikely she ever would. Phoebe also filled him in on the Founders' Council, and that was how Vicki's death was ruled an overdose, and why there were so many "animal attacks".

When she was done, Jeremy sat silently, processing everything he had just learned.

"I'm sorry about Vicki," Phoebe told him. "I'm also sorry that we didn't give you the choice to remember or forget, before having Damon compel you. It wasn't fair that I got to choose, and you didn't."

"No, it wasn't," replied Jeremy, angrily.

Phoebe twirled her hair around her fingers, nervously.

"Why didn't you want me to be compelled?" he asked.

"Because pain makes us who we are. Pushing through it makes us stronger," Phoebe answered.

"If you really believe that, then why let him do it? Why let him take my pain away?" he questioned.

"Because in the moment it made sense. You were just starting to get better from losing mom and dad, and to add another loss on top of that so soon would've set you back further," answered Phoebe. "There was no changing my mind after that, because I didn't even remember she was dead, until they found her body."

"So why tell me now?" Jeremy asked.

"Because you would've figured it out eventually," she answered. "It's like I told you at the party, you're like me. You aren't content to be naive and believe everything you're told. That's how you and I both figured out that vampires were real. Why you didn't just accenpt that Vicki's death was an overdose, and ignore the fact that she was buried, like her own family. I also believe it's safer for you to know than not to."

"How you figure?"

"Your vervain bracelet, for one. If you didn't know about vampires and vervain, then to you it would be just a bracelet. So if you lost it or it broke, then no big deal. But knowing what it is means that if you ever lose it, you'll know to replace it," she explained.

Jeremy didn't say anything.

"I'll leave you to process all of this," said Phoebe. She got to her feet, and headed upstairs. She stopped at the kitchen doorway for a moment to tell him, "I really am sorry, Jeremy. For Vicki, and having Damon compel you."

Back at the party, Stefan is crouched over the man, who is on the ground by the curb. goes outside looking for Stefan, but he runs off before she could catch him. She sees the man on the ground and runs over to him. He drowsily tells her that his arm hurts, and claims he lost his balance and fell, because he's clumsy.

In the Mayor's office Tyler tries to apologize, saying that he didn't know what happened, he had been drinking and lost control. The Mayor forcefully smacks him in the face with the back of his hand, and informs him that this is the last time he embarrasses this family.

At the Donovan house, Matt is packing up Kelly's stuff, and tells her to get out. He can raise himself a lot better than his mom can take care of both of them. Kelly apologizes and promises to do better, but Matt isn't hearing it; he tells her to be out by morning.

Back at the party, Damon and Rick follow John Gilbert out to the parking lot.

"Goin'' somewhere? Hmm?" Damon inquired.

"Never like to be the last one to leave a party. It's too desperate," John replied. "You here to kill me again? Or you gonna let Mr. Saltzman do your dirty work?"

"Okay, you obviously know who I am," said Rick.

"I do," John confirmed. "Alaric Saltzman, the high school History teacher with a secret."

"Sure know a lot for somone who just got to town," Damon noted.

"More than you can imagine, Damon," said John. "My knowledge of this town goes beyond anything that you or you or the Council knows. So if you were planning on some clever high-speed, snatch-ring, vamp kill move, know that if I die everything I know goes to the Council, including the fascinating little tale of the original Salvatore brothers and their present-day return to Mystic Falls."

Damon gave his usual uncaring grin, "You're bluffing."

"Maybe. But you can't really be sure, can you? I mean, there's only one way to tell whether I am or not," John admitted. "But here's something you can check out. While everyone in this town undoubtedly can't stand me and calls me names behind my back, there is one person who is quite fond of me and would be quite upset if I were to die."

"And who might that be?" Damon asked, maintaining his pokerface.

"Phoebe," John answered, simply.

Damon feigned indifference, "What makes you think I care whether some teenage girl is happy or not?"

"You can feign indifference all you like, Damon, but I know better," John told him. "I see the way you look at her. I also know about your little rooftop serenade the night of the decade dance."

Damon became noticeably uncomfortable. He didn't like people having something to hold over him, especially when that thing was Phoebe.

"How'd you get that ring?" asked Rick, changing the topic.

"I inherited one, my brother Gray, the other," John answered. He raised his hand to show the ring on his finger, "This was his. And I wouldn't have given mine to Isobel had I known she'd hand it over to another guy."

"So you did know her," Damon noted.

John laughed, "Who do you think sent her your way when she wanted to become a vampire?"

"You sent her?" Damon questioned.

"Guilty," said John. "Why, did you think someone else sent her? Maybe Katherine Pierce?"

Damon became uncomfortable again, "How do you know about Katherine?"

"How do I know anything, Damon?" John retorted.

Damon grew frustrated, "What do you want?"

John didn't even blink, "So many questions. It was a pleasure meeting you, Rick. I've heard so much about you."

Damon and Rick were left dumbfounded, as John walked away.

Later, as they finally get home, Jenna and Elena groan as they think of the next month of Founder's Day events. When Elena goes to her room, she finds Stefan waiting for her. He apologizes for running off earlier, and admits that he isn't okay. She tells him to talk to her, and he explains that he's tried so hard to keep it together tonight, and it was working until he saw Matt's mom bleeding. He confesses to wanting to feed on the jerk in the parking lot, and even though he didn't, he still wanted to. He complains that his head is pounding and he feels like his skin is on fire. He has a hunger that he's never felt before and confesses that while he promised he would never keep anything from her, he doesn't want her to know these things, or see him like this; he doesn't want her to know this side of him exists.

Elena tells him she needs him to talk to her, and promises that he'll get through it, and that she'll help him. Stefan declines out of fear of what he could do to her, but she assures him that she isn't afraid. He tells her that he loves her, and she echoes the sentiment.

Back at the Salvatore Boarding House, Damon is sitting on the couch in front of the fire with a glass of blood. He begins to Stefan him their problems with John, but once he sees Stefan's face, he stops and tells him he doesn't look well. He observes that it's different this time, that the need is too strong—not surprised that it would be after so many decades. He leaves his glass of blood on the table and bids his brother goodnight. Stefan eyes the glass; after a moment, he lunges for it and gulps it down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So many questions: How does John know about Damon and Phoebe's rooftop evening, when Phoebe hasn't even told Matt about it? How will Damon deal with John now that he knows he can't kill him, because of Phoebe? How will Jeremy deal with the truth after hearing it from his own sister (rather than reading it out of Elena's diary)? With the Miss Mystic Falls Pageant coming up, who will be nominated? Who will when? I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and as always, please let me know what you guys think. :)


	19. Miss Mystic Falls

Chapter 19: Miss Mystic Falls

It's been a week, since the Founders' Kick-Off Party, and Stefan fells ready to return to school. He arrives in his own car, and tells Elena that the worst of his cravings are behind him, and he's feeling much better now. She believes him, but the trunk full of empty blood bags say otherwise.

Meanwhile at the Founders' Council Hall, Sheriff Forbes informs Damon and John of another theft at a nearby blood bank. She admits that they wouldn't have noticed it, if John hadn't already alerted them to similar thefts in the surrounding counties. Sheriff Forbes then notes that she's going to be stepping up her security, giving the blood bank guards vervain. John suggests that he and Damon work together to find the vampire responsable. Damon doesn't like it, but agrees to do it to avoid suspicion.

In History class, Mr. Saltzman announces that they're going to put studying WWII on hold, while they study more local history. It's clear he doesn't agree with the decision, but he's being forced to do it, regardless. Bonnie joins them for class, having finally returned to Mystic Falls. Elena is excited to see her best friend is back, but Bonnie gives her the cold shoulder and won't even look at Stefan.

Meanwhile at the Boarding House, Damon receives a visit from Anna. She's there to apologize on behalf of her mother for what the other vampires did to Stefan. Damon isn't resceptive of her apology, and warns her to stop robbing the blood banks dry, because the Council has noticed. Anna doesn't know what he's talking about. She tells him that after what happened with Stefan, Pearl kicked the other vampires out, and they left town. Anna, Pearl, and Harper are the only vampires left – other than the Salvatore brothers – and Anna hasn't been to the blood bank in over a week. Damon has a distrubing thought, but doesn't voice it.

Back at school, Elena chases Bonnie down to talk to her. She asks how she's doing, and Bonnie admits that it's been hard, but she's dealing. Elena tells her friend that she was missed, but Bonnie tells her that after hearing how the vampires were able to get out of the tomb she didn't really want to come back. Elena explains that she didn't want her to come home and find out, without any heads up. Bonnie understands, but wishes she didn't know.

The two are soon joined by Caroline, who is ecstatic to see Bonnie, and mentions that they talked everyday. Having only spoken to her a handful of times, Elena feels hurt. Caroline carries on, mentioning something about the Founders' Court.

"The Founders' Court? Did I miss something?" Elena asked, confused.

"The Founders' Court. You know, Miss Mystic Falls," Caroline replied. "They announced it today, and, um, your sister and I are both on it."

"Oh, my god, we signed her up for that so long ago. I completely forgot," said Elena. "Phoebe's probably banging her head against her locker right now. She wasn't expecting to get in."

"Well, she could always drop out, if she doesn't wanna do it," said Caroline. She tried pretending to be sincere, but it was obvious that she just wanted to narrow down the competition.

"She can't," said Elena.

"Why not?" asked Caroline.

"Because our mom wanted her to do this. She's the one that made her sign up," Elena explained.

Meanwhile, Matt finds Phoebe steadily beating her head against her locker. He approaches her with caution, "Uh, what're you doin'?"

"Trying to wake up from this nightmare," Phoebe groaned.

"I see. And how's that workin' out for ya?" he asked.

Phoebe stopped, turned around, and leaned back against her locker, "Now I've just got a headache."

Matt smiled, "What's wrong, Phoebe?"

"They announced the contestants for the Founders' Court today," she answered.

"The what?"

"The girls selected to compete in the Miss Mystic Falls Pageant," she clarified.

"Oh...wait...you weren't," said Matt.

"I was."

Matt cracked up, and Phoebe hit him.

"It's not funny," she scolded. "They've obviously lost their minds."

"Oh, come on, it can't be that bad," he told her. "So you have to get all dressed up and pretty. What's the big deal?"

"That's not all there is to it. You have to look nice and lady-like for some stupid interview, there's a dance thing you gotta do with your escort in a nice ball gown...there's a lot more to it than just looking pretty," Phoebe explained. "And I can't drop out, because my mom really wanted me to do this."

"So what are you gonna do?" Matt asked.

"I'll play the game. But I won't play to win," said Phoebe.

"So the bare minimum, then?"

"The bare minimum," she confirmed.

At the Boarding House, Damon waits for Stefan to get home to ask him about the stolen blood. Stefan adamantly denies drinking any human blood, despite Damon's attempts. He tries making small talk, pointing out the changes in his brother's personality, asking what Elena thinks of his new personality, and flat out telling him that he knows he's lying; but Stefan maintains his innocence.

Later that night at the Gilbert House, Phoebe calls Damon to ask him to be her escort for the pageant.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but since when do you care about being in a beauty pageant?" Damon asked.

"Since my mom made me sign up for this several months ago. She said I should be more like Elena. More lady-like, less books, more girl friends, maybe even date once in a while...you know, Elena," Phoebe explained, walking around her room.

Damon rolled his eyes, "Your mom was an idiot. You don't need to be more like Elena, because Elena is boring like Stefan. And you have more class than most of the women in this town."

Phoebe smiled to herself, "So does that mean you'll be my escort?"

"I'd be happy to escort you anywhere," he replied.

"Thank you. And again, I'm sorry for the short notice. I forgot all about this stupid thing. I never even thought I'd be selected. _Ever_ ," said Phoebe.

"Don't worry about me, all I have to do is put on a suit and do a dance I learned when I was twelve," said Damon.

Phoebe snorted, "I'm sorry, I was just picturing you at twelve. Wait, are there any pictures of you when you were younger?"

"None that you'll ever see," Damon replied. He heard Stefan sneaking down to the basement. "I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay. Goodnight," said Phoebe.

"Night," Damon replied. He hung up the phone, and flitted down to the basement.

There he found Stefan looming over the open freezer of blood. He accused Stefan of being a liar and a thief, which Stefan didn't deny. Instead, Stefan shrugged and told his brother that he had everything under control, so it wasn't a big deal. Damon reminds him that he's a vampire, too, so he knows all about the cravings and the fine line between being Dr. Jekyll or Mr. Hyde. He also reminds Stefan that the two of them are supposed to be keeping a low profile, especially since the Council is back into vampire-mode again. Stefan assures him that he's fine, and tells him to back off.

The next morning, Phoebe had to get ready for her interview with the Founders' Court. She wore the same blue and pink cocktail dress she had borrowed from Aunt Jenna for the Kick-Off Party, put on a light layer of make-up, and let Elena fix her hair in a nice fashion. Phoebe had no idea who she was up against, until she arrived at the Founders' Hall and saw them. There were the two fell cousins – Tina and Blair – , Amber Bradley, and Caroline Forbes.

" _Of course Caroline is in this stupid pageant, why wouldn't she be?"_ Phoebe thought, rolling her eyes.

"Phoebe!" called Caroline, waving her over.

Phoebe forced a smile, and walked over to where Caroline was sitting. She greeted Caroline, and then the other girls, "Hello, Caroline. Other blondes."

"I like your dress," said Caroline.

"Thanks," said Phoebe, suspiciously. The two of them had been trying to get along more, for Matt's sake, but this was a little too nice.

"Didn't you wear it for the Founders' Kick-Off Party, too?" Caroline asked. It seemed an innocent enough question, but from the way the other girls were giggling, it seemed more like a jab.

Phoebe maintained her forced smile, "Well, some of us don't like to waste money by wearing an outfit once, then tossing it aside."

Caroline put on an innocent-looking expression, "And there's nothing wrong with recycling an outfit. But some of us actually care about our appearance, and want to look cute."

Phoebe bit her tongue, as the other girls giggled some more. Her smile spread more tightly, and her eyes narrowed. Phoebe imagined she resembled something like that to the Grinch, when he had the idea to steal Christmas. She walked a good ways away from the other girls, sat on a bench, and put on her headphones to block them out. Since her name was Gilbert, she'd be the last one called for the interview, so she had a lot of time on her hands. Phoebe took her sketch book out of her purse, and began working on her incomplete sketch of Civil War Damon. She became so focused on the sketch, she didn't realize how much time had gone by, until Carol Lockwood was tapping her on the shoulder.

Phoebe jumped, and slid the headphones off her head and around her neck.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," Carol apologized.

"It's okay, Mrs. Lockwood. I was so focused, anything would've startled me," Phoebe replied. She turned off her iPod and shoved it, along with her headphones, into her purse. She did the same with her pencils and eraser.

Carol noticed her drawing, before she could close the book, and requested, "May I?"

Phoebe looked up at her, then the drawing. She smiled and nodded, as she handed her the sketch book.

Carol examined the drawing in awe of her talent, "This is beautiful work, Phoebe."

"Thank you, Mrs. Lockwood," said Phoebe.

"Is this Damon Salvatore?" she asked.

"Yes, ma'am. We've been learning about local history at school, and I thought it might be interesting to draw him as a Confederate Soldier," Phoebe lied. It wasn't a complete lie. They were learning about local history at school, and she did think it would be interesting to draw Damon as a Confederate Soldier, but it wasn't the lessons that made her want to draw him like that.

"Interesting," said Carol. It wasn't in a suspicious tone, more of an intrigued one. "Do you draw often?"

"Yes, ma'am," Phoebe answered. Carol returned Phoebe's book, and she returned it to her purse.

"That's a rare talent for a girl your age," Carol commented. She stood back, and gestured for Phoebe to enter the room. Phoebe got to her feet, and stepped inside the room.

There was a chair sitting in the center of the room, facing a large table with two women. Carol joined the two women – sitting in between them – and Phoebe sat in the spotlight chair. She did her best to sit like a lady, and smile.

"Before we get started, I have an announcement I have to make," said Carol. She cleared her throat, and continued. "This year's queen will have the special honor of taking center stage at the 150th Founders' Day Gala."

As Carol made her announcement, Phoebe thought to herself, _"Why even bother telling me, it's not like I'm going to be your queen? Caroline will probably win this stupid thing, knowing her. She's pretty, charismatic, and she's kissed enough butt. The other girls have no chance, and the only thing I've got going for me is a possible sympathy vote. Ha! That's probably the only reason I was even selected."_

By the time Phoebe had tuned back in, Carol had moved on to telling the other two judges what a talented artist Phoebe was. One of them asked to see some of her drawings. Phoebe smile politely, as she took out her sketch book, flipped to the Civil War Damon, and handed it over. The women showered Phoebe with praise, as they flipped through several sketches. Embarrassingly enough, most of them were of Damon.

" _If I had known they'd like my drawings so much, I'd have put together a portfolio. No, you wouldn't, because you're not trying to win, remember? Bare minimum. They're looking for someone like Caroline to be their queen. Caroline. Hmpf! She couldn't draw a stick figure. Her only talent's are being shallow, and brown-nosing,"_ Phoebe thought, while the judges looked at her drawings.

"You must like Mr. Salvatore," said one of the women, with grin. "You've drawn him several times."

"Are you and Mr. Salvatore dating?" asked the other woman.

"No, ma'am, we're just friends," Phoebe answered. "He just has very...sketch-worthy features."

"You can say that again," Carol muttered. The other two women adamantly agreed. "Will Mr. Salvatore be escorting you to the Ball?"

"Yes, ma'am," Phoebe answered.

The three women finished with Phoebe's sketch book, and put it aside. One of the other women addressed Phoebe, "Phoebe, you have an amazing talent for drawing, and your test scores are on a genius level. Both things that make you stand out far from the other girls, but you don't seem to have done much in the way of community involvement."

"I recognize that I haven't been as involved this year as I used to be, but things happened and priorities changed," Phoebe began. The three women seemed to become sad at her words, knowing what she was referring to. Phoebe had an idea. "After our parents died, I had to become the rock in the family. I had to be strong for my aunt, for my brother, and for my sister."

The women all had empathetic expressions. Phoebe realized then that she had been selected because of a sympathy vote. And, if she wanted, she could win because of one. She thought of Caroline, and how she'd embarrassed her in the hall. How Caroline always embarrassed her, when their respective friends weren't around – because Phoebe wasn't the type to go and tattle. And it was decided.

Phoebe cleared her throat and continued, "It seems like the fog was just lifting from the loss of our parents, when Elena and I found out we were adopted. We've been trying to find our biological parents, but it hasn't been easy."

Carol and the other two judges made gestures of sympathy, and looked at her with sad eyes.

"When my mom signed me up for this, she told me how much of an honor it was just being selected. And she was right," Phoebe added. She had these women eating out of the palm of her hand. "This was really important to my mom. She taught me so much in the short time that I knew her. All about community, family, honor, and loyalty. Heh. Saying it out loud, I realize it sounds cheesy and rehearsed, but...it's true."

The three women all blinked back tears, and Carol cleared her throat, "Thank you, Phoebe. I'll see you and Mr. Salvatore at the dance rehearsal, this afternoon."

Meanwhile in town, Damon places an order at the flower shop. On his way out, he's approached by John.

"Hey, partner," John greeted. "Taking time to smell the roses?"

"What do you want?" Damon asked, annoyed. He continued walking, forcing John to keep up.

"You haven't returned any of my calls," said John.

"Most people take that as a hint," said Damon.

"Where do we start looking for vampires?" asked John, in a hushed tone.

"Why the act, John? I mean, you obviously don't care about catching vampires. You're talking to me," Damon questioned.

"Actually, I care very much," John disagreed.

"What did Isobel say about that?" Damon asked. "I mean, considering that she is one."

"Isobel and I share a mutual interest," John answered, vaguely. "The original Johnathan Gilbert had an invention that was stolen by a vampire. That vampire was then burned alive in Fell's Church, or so Johnathan thought. And the invention was lost forever."

"Hmm."

"But then the vampires weren't killed, were they?" asked John, rhetorically. "They were trapped. And now they're free, thanks to you, which means the invention is retrievable."

"Well, what is it?" asked Damon, mildly interested.

"The only thing that matters is that I want it back, and you're going to help me if you want your secret safe," replied John.

Damon stopped walking, now that he was at his destination – the high school – and faced John, "I mean, why bring me into it, John? I mean, I don't even know what you're talking about, much less who has it."

"Oh, come on, Damon. You were around back then. You know who these people are, what they look like," John answered. "He was friendly with a woman who turned out to be a vampire. Her name was Pearl. Does that ring a bell?"

Damon looked over and saw Phoebe waiting outside for him. She noticed him and her face lit up. Then she noticed John, and became suspicious, but still waved to him. Damon smiled at John, "I'm not playing anymore."

"I beg your pardon?" John questioned, maintaining his poker face.

"You know, I only entertained this whole blackmail scheme thing of yours because I didn't wanna have to leave Phoebe. But see, now I know I don't have to leave," Damon explained.

"I'll tell the entire Council what you are," John threatened.

"No, you won't," said Damon. He gestured to Phoebe, "Because that girl over there cares about me, for some reason, so if you get me killed or chased out of town she'll never forgive you. And trust me, I'll make sure she knows you were behind it."

John glared at Damon, as he headed off to meet up with Phoebe. When he got there, she asked him what the two men were talking about. Damon didn't want to concern her, so he lied and told her it was just Council stuff. Phoebe could tell it was something more, but had to let it go for now. They needed to get to the dance rehearsal. Phoebe told Damon what happened at the interview, on the way to the cafeteria.

Carol Lockwood called for everyone to get paired up, and, "Honor your partner."

The men stepped forward and bowed, while the women stepped forward and curtsied. The pairs stepped back, and the dance began. First was the right hand around.

"So, what happened to just doing the bare minimum?" Damon asked her, in a whisper.

"Well, I was going to, but then I started thinking about how mean Caroline's always been to me, and I decided that I wanna take this win from her," Phoebe replied, in the same whisper.

"Left hand around," Carol called.

"So, your only motivation for winning this pageant – that you yourself have referred to several times as stupid – is to keep Caroline from winning?" Damon questioned.

"Yes."

"But isn't she your best friend's girlfriend?" he asked.

"Both hands," Carol called.

"Yeah, well, all this false niceness is just building up into a very real rage. I need to vent it somewhere," Phoebe answered. "Besides, Caroline brought this on herself when she made remarks about my sense of style, or lack thereof."

"Revenge win. I like it," said Damon. Phoebe smiled. "Is that why you asked me to be your escort instead of Donovan?"

"No, I asked you because you were around when the dance was invented," Phoebe joked.

"Ouch," said Damon, pretending to be hurt. He took Phoebe's hand, spun her around, and dipped her. Phoebe giggled as he did.

"Oh, no, no, no, no," said Carol, stopping the music. She walked up to the pair, as Damon lifted Phoebe back up. "There's no touching during this part. It's about the simple intimacy of the near-touch."

Damon apologized, and Carol went back to restart the music. Damon leaned in and whispered to Phoebe, "If you ask me, the near-touch is overrated."

Phoebe nodded in agreement.

"So, if you're gonna beat Caroline, you're gonna need one hell of a dress," said Damon.

"And, honor your partners," called Carol.

As Phoebe curtsied, she replied, "Yes, I will."

"Right hand around," called Carol.

"I can help you with that," Damon offered. "If you want."

"And what would you know about female fashion?" Phoebe questioned.

"More than you would," he teased.

Phoebe's eyes widened, and her jaw dropped.

"Left hand around," Carol called.

"That's for the remark about my age," Damon told her. "I'm a guy. I think I would know what looks good on a woman."

Phoebe narrowed her eyes, playfully, "You make a valid point."

Damon made a face that said he knew that.

"Both hands around," Carol called.

"Alright, then. You can help me find a dress," Phoebe agreed.

"Great. We'll go after this," said Damon.

While the pair finished their dance rehearsal with the other contestants, regular school classes carry on. Elena notices that Bonnie is still acting weird around her, and avoiding Stefan all together. She confronts her best friend, who explains that she feels her grandmother died for nothing, because all the vampires ended up getting out of the tomb. She blames both of the Salvatore brothers for what happened to her grandmother, but doesn't want to make Elena choose between her and Stefan. Stefan uses his vampire hearing to listen in on their conversation.

After the dance rehearsal, Damon and Phoebe sneak away from the school – the contestants were supposed to go to their regularly schedule classes after the rehearsal – and took Phoebe's car back to the Gilbert house.

As they exited her car, Damon commented, "I don't understand why we had to come her for you to tell your aunt where we're going. You could've just called her from the car."

"I could have," Phoebe agreed, grabbing her backpack out of the back seat. "But this way I can drop my books off, and tell Aunt Jenna where I'm going. I needed to bring the car back here, anyways, since we're taking your Camero."

Damon stopped on the steps of the porch, "We're what? Why do we have to take my car?"

"Because your car is gorgeous, and it's your tailor friend we're going to see," Phoebe answered. She'd stopped just outside the door, and turned back to face him.

Damon gave her a look, "You only like me for my car, don't you?"

Phoebe walked closer to him, and placed her hand on his shoulder in a consoling manner. She took a deep breath, and looked him in the eye, "Yes."

Damon clapped his hands over his heart, pretending to be hurt, and Phoebe laughed.

"I'll run home, and get the car, so I don't have to carry you," said Damon. To most that would have sounded like another playful jab about her being heavy, or something; but Phoebe understood it as he remembered that the flitting made her sick, and was trying to spare her from it.

Phoebe nodded, then went inside and called for Jenna, but she wasn't there. Phoebe brought her books up to her room, texted Elena to tell her that she and Jeremy needed to find another way home, then took a quick shower. She knew once she got home she wouldn't feel like it, so she might as well do it now. Damon returned just as she finished getting redressed, and still no one was home. Phoebe went into the kitchen, scribbled down a note, and left it on the kitchen counter for her family:

"Gone dress shopping with Damon.

Says he has a tailor about an hour

outside of town that can make me

a dress in time. Will try not to be

long. I have my cell if you

need me. -Love, Phoebe"

On the way out of town, Phoebe began reading a book, while twirling her hair – she'd left it down after her shower. Damon glanced over to see what she was reading. It was the book John had given her.

"Ray Bradbury?" he questioned.

Phoebe looked up from the book, glasses falling down her nose. She pushed them back up, "Yeah, it was a gift from Uncle John."

Damon gave one of his fake smiles, "Good ol' Uncle John."

"What were you guys talking about earlier?" Phoebe asked. She marked her place in the book and closed it, turning her full attention to Damon.

"I told you. It was just Council stuff," Damon lied.

"That's a lie, and you know it," Phoebe argued. "If it were Council stuff you'd tell me, because you always tell me about the Council stuff. You're also forgetting my superpower of observation. I _know_ you and Uncle John can't stand each other."

Damon caved with a heavy sigh, "John threatened to expose me to the Council, if I didn't help him find something."

"Did you try to kill him?" Phoebe asked.

"What?" Damon asked, confused.

"Did you try to kill him?" Phoebe repeated, with more emphasis.

"I tell you he's trying to blackmail me, and that's what you're worried about?" Damon questioned.

"Just answer the question," she told him.

"No!...I succeeded," he answered.

"Damon!"

"He's fine, he has one of those rings, like Rick has," Damon defended.

"I know he does, I've seen it," said Phoebe. "He's had that thing as long as I can remember."

"Look, I'm sorry. That was before I learned that he was your favorite uncle," said Damon. "And that's the _only_ thing stopping me from snatching that ring off of his finger and killing him for good."

Phoebe took a deep breath, "What's the thing he wants you to find?"

"Some device your ancestor had back in 1864. Apparently Pearl stole it, before she was trapped inside the tomb. I don't know what it does, or why he wants it, but I do know I don't want him to have it," replied Damon.

"Well, that makes two of us," Phoebe agreed. "But won't he out you to the Council, if you don't get it to him?"

"Nope. I solved that, when we were talking outside the school," Damon answered.

"Let me guess, you threatened him," Phoebe guessed.

"With the very thing he threatened me with," Damon confirmed. "You."

Phoebe smiled to herself, and went back to her book.

Later at the high school, Stefan was on the way to his car, when he caught the scent of blood in the air. Some kid playing basketball with his friends fell down, and scraped his knee. Rick noticed Stefan's focus, and went to ask him if he was alright. Stefan reacted aggressively towards Rick, before realizing what he was doing. He apologized, saying he was feeling a little sick, then took off for his car.

Stefan quickly downed a bag of blood that he had in the trunk. Elena popped up, and Stefan hid the evidence, before she could see. She told him about Phoebe's text, and asked if she could have a ride. Stefan, of course, pretended everything was fine and agreed to drive her home. He asked if Jeremy needed one as well, and Elena told him that he apparently had other plans.

Meanwhile, Phoebe and Damon arrived at the tailor shop – A to Z Tailoring. It was a quaint little shop that looked several decades old. It was run by a pair of old ladies – best friends – who, apparently, were witches. These women weren't frail grandmother-type old ladies, they were the kind that looked good for their age and took care of themselves. Though Phoebe suspected a bit of magic might've helped. Damon told her that they specialized in short orders, meaning they used their magic to make the customer's clothes faster.

One of the women greeted Damon as soon as he stepped inside.

"Damon Salvatore! Look at you," said one of the women. She eyed Damon up and down the way most women do.

"Agnes," Damon greeted, kissing her on the cheek.

"Zoie, get in here! Damon Salvatore is here!" Agnes called.

" _Now the name makes sense,"_ Phoebe thought.

Zoie came out from the back, and greeted Damon. Unlike Agnes, though, Zoie had wandering hands. It was kind of funny.

"Who's your friend?" asked Agnes.

"This is Phoebe," Damon introduced. "Phoebe, this is Agnes and Zoie."

Phoebe smiled at the two women.

"She's a shy one," Agnes noted, with a smile.

"Looks innocent, too," Zoie added.

Phoebe felt her cheeks get hot, and her limbs got all shaky. Damon noticed, and put an arm around her to help steady her, "Ladies, please, your making her nervous."

"Oh, I'm sorry, sweetheart. We're just being observant," said Agnes. Her apology was genuine.

"It's our job," Zoie added. "It helps us fit the customer to the right style."

"Phoebe's very observant herself," said Damon.

"Really?" asked Agnes. Both women became intrigued.

"Mhmm. Found out my brother and I were vampires after only a few weeks of being in town," said Damon.

Phoebe looked at Damon questioningly.

"Don't worry, honey, we've known for years," said Zoie.

"We've known Damon, since we were your age," Agnes added. Both women looked at Damon in a way that told Phoebe just how well they had known Damon.

Phoebe looked up at Damon, and finally spoke, "Have you ever _not_ slept with someone you were attracted to? I mean, have you ever just tried dating?"

"She speaks!" Zioe noted.

"She's smart," Agnes noted.

"As a matter of fact, I have," replied Damon. He turned to Agnes and Zoie, "Ladies, I need you two to work some magic."

"New suit?" asked Agnes.

Damon shook his head, "Phoebe, here, is in need of a dress. And not just any dress. She needs the most beautiful, most amazing dress you can imagine."

"What's the occasion?" asked Zoie. She directed her question to Phoebe, not Damon.

"Beauty pageant," Phoebe answered simply.

"Don't take this the wrong way, dear, but you don't seem the type to care about any beauty pageant," said Agnes.

"Well, there's this girl–," Phoebe began.

Zioe cut her off, "And you don't want her to win."

Phoebe was impressed. She liked these ladies.

"She your only competition?" asked Agnes.

"There are three other girls," said Phoebe. "But-"

"This girl is the only real competition," said Agnes, finishing her thought.

"Emotionally shallow ass-kisser?" asked Zoie.

Phoebe nodded.

Agnes and Zoie nodded thoughtfully, and whispered to one another. Then Agnes asked, "What's your favorite color?"

"I don't have one," answered Phoebe.

"Yes, you do," said Damon, confusedly.

"No, I don't," Phoebe argued.

"Phoebe, your room is nearly all purple," Damon noted.

"Because I had to pick a wallpaper for the walls. A decision I wrestled with for a week," Phoebe explained.

"Fickle," noted Zoie.

"We'll have to make the dress ombre," Agnes added.

"I'm not fickle," said Phoebe. "I know what I like and what I don't like. I just don't want to pick on specific favorite above all others."

"Very well. Do you prefer warmer colors, or cooler colors?" asked Zoie.

"Cooler," Phoebe answered.

The two women whispered to one another, again. Then Agnes asked, "When do you need the dress?"

"Morning," Damon answered.

"Alright. Zoie, you take down her measurements, and I'll go get the material," said Agnes. Zoie nodded, and the two women got to work. Zoie took Phoebe into a dressing area of sorts, and got all of her measurements, including her feet – apparently they did shoes for special cases.

It didn't take long for Zoie to get all the measurements she needed; and once she was done, Phoebe and Damon were free to go. The women closed up shop behind them, and began their all-nighter on Phoebe's dress. Damon and Phoebe headed back to Mystic Falls, stopping only to pick up some dinner. Though Phoebe was the only eating, Damon still reached over to steal some of her food, on occasion.

The next morning, Phoebe woke up to the sounds of her family moving about the house, trying to be quiet – though failing miserably. The plan was to let Phoebe sleep in until last minute – so she could get her "Beauty Sleep" – because she planned to just wear her pajamas until she had to change into her dress. However, the constant shushing sounds and creaking floorboards made it hard to sleep at all.

Phoebe rolled over to face the passenger side of her bed, about ready to call it quits, when she smelled...flowers? Normally the wonderful smell of coffee filled the air, but for some reason today she smelled flowers. Phoebe opened her eyes to find a big white blur in her face. She rolled onto her back, reached over to her night stand, and retrieved her glasses. When she looked back to the where the white blur had been, she saw it was a bouquet of Casablanca Lilies. Phoebe sat up and held the flowers. There was a card attached:

Good luck today. Break a leg.

Whatever you're supposed to say

for these things.

-Damon

Phoebe smiled ear to ear, as she deeply inhaled her lilies. When she glanced over to her window seat, she had to do a double take. There was black garment bag hanging from her curtain rod, and a shoe box on the window seat. Phoebe flew out of her bed and over to the window seat. There was a card attached to the garment bag:

"We thought it best to use an opaque

garment bag, so your competition

won't see the dress until you're

wearing it.

Let us know how you do.

-Agnes and Zioe"

Phoebe shifted the flowers she was still holding, so she could unzip the bag and see the dress. When she did, her jaw dropped in awe. The dress was gorgeous. It was an ombre gradient colored dress, with only one crystal-beaded shoulder strap, and more beading underneath the opposite arm. The top of the dress was black, and faded into a royal blue as it went down. It was made with chiffon fabric, and had an empire waist.

Phoebe wanted to touch the dress, but feared she would mess it up somehow. Instead, she took a look at the shoes. She opened the box, picked one up, and examined it in almost the same awe she had the dress. The shoes were royal blue suede, about 3 inches high, with a strap going across the foot. At this point Phoebe couldn't contain herself any longer. She let out the girliest squeal that had ever escaped her mouth, and hopped around – flowers in one hand, a shoe in the other.

"Phoebe? Everything okay?" asked John, knocking on her door.

Phoebe opened the door, smiling like the Cheshire cat, "Everything's great."

John and Jeremy had to quickly move out of the way, as she ran downstairs to get Jenna and Elena. The two boys shared a look, then went their separate ways. Jeremy went downstairs, and John peered into Phoebe's room to see what she was so excited about. He saw the dress from the doorway, and it intrigued him enough to enter the room for a closer look. John found Damon's note on the window seat next to the other shoe, and became very unhappy with Damon.

John left Phoebe's room very quickly, when he heard her dragging Elena and Jenna upstairs to her room. She showed them her dress with the excitement of a kid on Christmas. Both women were amazed by the dresses beauty, and Phoebe's strange excitement over it; but there wasn't time to make jokes about it or question it, because they had to get over to the Founders' Hall for the pageant. The three girls rode with Rick, while Jeremy rode with Uncle John.

At the Founders' Hall, Damon talks to Anna about the device that John is looking for. He tells what he told Phoebe, and she agrees to ask her mother about it. Meanwhile, upstairs, Jenna and Elena get to work on Phoebe. Elena does Phoebe's make-up a bit more noticeable than she normally wears it, but still more subtle than most. Jenna fixes Phoebe's hair up into a more classy messy bun, with a few loose curls hanging down.

When they were finished, Phoebe put in a pair of simple, silver, diamond earrings that matched her dress. Unfortunately, her necklace didn't match, so she had Elena hold onto it. Phoebe also exchanged her glasses for her contacts, because her glasses threw off the entire outfit. Jenna and Elena joined the others downstairs, and Phoebe went to get dressed.

Meanwhile, downstairs, Jeremy tries talking to John about Johnathan Gilbert's journal to see if he'll tell him the truth. However to Jeremy's disappointment, John only writes their ancestor off as a drunken mad man with an overactive imagination. The two men then notice Anna walking by, and Jeremy excuses himself to talk to her.

Anna doesn't want to talk to him, after her used her to try and become and vampire so he could be with someone else. Jeremy tells her that it was no worse than her becoming his friend so she could feed him to her mother. Anna is surprised that he knows about that, and demands to know how and what he knows. He tells her he knows everything, because Phoebe told him.

Elsewhere, Damon gets Elena alone to talk to her about Stefan. He tells her that Stefan is still drinking human blood. She doesn't want to believe it, because Stefan told her that his behavior was normal for getting clean of human blood. Damon admits that he normally would be rejoicing at this news, but with the Council on alert it's not a good time for this. Elena still argues, but Damon tells her about the freezer full of stolen blood in the house. He tells her that Stefan on human blood is not the same Stefan she's used to. He'll say and do anything to keep from having to stop.

Elena begins pacing the room, going on about how it's all her fault for making him drink her blood in the first place. Stefan enters the room, confused to see them alone together. Damon tells Stefan that he was just filling Elena in on his extracurricular activities. Stefan plays dumb, but Elena tells him she knows about the blood. Damon excuses himself to give them some privacy.

When Damon leaves, Stefan claims that he was going to tell Elena. She asks him when, and he just assures her that he's fine. Elena argues with him about how the blood has changed him, but Stefan assures her that he's fine and that he didn't tell her because of how she's reacting right now. Their argument is cut short, when they hear the announcement that the line-up is starting. Elena drops the argument, for now, so she can be there for her sister. Stefan storms off to a nearby bathroom, and punches the mirror. As glass shatters everywhere, Amber Bradley enters the bathroom – not realizing it was occupied. She sees Stefan's vampire face, and he takes her out to the parking lot.

Meanwhile, the announcer introduces the girls and their escorts, as the girls come down the spiral staircase. They were called in alphabetical order, so for a few minutes, Caroline and Phoebe were alone upstairs. Caroline seethed, when she saw Phoebe's dress.

"Wh...Where did you get that dress?" Caroline asked her, surprised.

"A couple of tailor friends made it for me," said Phoebe, mildly gloating.

Caroline's jaw dropped, as she looked the dress up and down, "How did you get a tailor-made dress so soon, they only announced the contestants a couple of days ago?"

Phoebe shrugged, "Magic?"

Caroline glowered at her, preparing a snarky remark. However, she was unable to make whatever snark she'd come up with, because the announcer called her name and she had to go. Caroline forced a smile, and walked downstairs.

Meanwhile, Jeremy and Anna are still talking by the bar, unknowingly being watched by John.

"You're gonna miss Phoebe's introduction," said Anna.

"It's okay, Phoebe hates this stupid pageant thing, anyways. She won't care if I'm there or not," Jeremy replied.

"So, Elena has no idea that Phoebe told you everything?" she asked.

"She keeps things from me, I'm gonna keep things from her," he replied.

Anna smiled, "What are you gonna do now? Now that you know everything that they've been hiding from you?"

"I don't know," he admitted. "There's a part of me that's so angry that they covered up what happened to Vicki and erased my memory, without even giving me a choice. But there's also this other part of me that's glad. I-I don't wanna remember Vicki like that."

Anna nodded, "As a monster."

"No, as someone who wanted to hurt me," Jeremy corrected. "Phoebe told me the truth, and for that it's easier to forgive her. She didn't even wanna have me compelled in the first place."

"When I first met you, you were just a part of my plan to get my mother back," said Anna. "But then things changed. All the time we spent together. I would never do anything to hurt you, not now. You know that, right?"

Jeremy nodded, "Yeah, I know that."

Back upstairs, Phoebe hears her name called. She takes a deep breath, and heads down the stairs to meet Damon. When Damon sees her, he's shocked by how beautiful she looks. He conveyed this to her via their usual form of communication – with a look. Phoebe gave him a smile that said "thank you", then he escorted her outside. Everyone lined up with their escorts, just like in rehearsal, and the music started. Phoebe and Damon danced with more chemistry than any of the other couples, which everyone – including the judges – noticed.

Meanwhile, out in the parking lot, Stefan compels Amber to just stand there, while he vents. He goes on about how he's the good brother, but something inside of him wants to rip Amber to pieces. She asks him what's stopping him, and he tells her that if he does there's no going back. But he can't help it. He says all he needs is one taste, and then bites her on the neck.

A little while later, the contestants all line up on a small stage. Carol Lockwood joins them, and announces, "Before we crown the winner, I would just like to offer a personal 'thank you' to all of these young ladies for their efforts to better our community."

Everyone clapped, and the girls all smiled.

"Now, for the first time in several years, the title of Miss Mystic Falls will fall to not one winner, but two," Carol continued.

The room erupted with whispers. The girls on stage all looked at one another in confusion.

"That's right, people, we have a tie," said Carol. "For an outstanding display of involvement in the community, we crown Miss Caroline Forbes!"

Caroline was ecstatic, as the room clapped for her. She shot Phoebe a look, as she received her crown and sash. Phoebe ignored her, and waited for them to announce their next winner.

"Our other winner displayed her talents elsewhere. She's a talented artist, and does exceedingly well in school," Carol began. With just that little bit, everyone knew who she was going to name next. "She also showed amazing chemistry with her escort on the dance floor, and her dress...We now crown Miss Phoebe Gilbert!"

Jenna and Elena exchanged looks of surprise, as they applauded for Phoebe. Phoebe shot Caroline a taunting grin, before sharing a look with Damon. While she received her crown and sash, Sheriff Forbes finds the broken mirror in the bathroom, along with blood. Liz sends a deputy to retrieve Damon and John for her.

Phoebe exits the stage area to find her family, after being crowned. Jenna, John, Rick, Elena, and Damon all shower her with congratulatory sentiments. Shortly after, the deputy arrived for Damon and John, and they had to excuse themselves. Phoebe knew it was something Council related, but would have to wait to find out just what it was.

On the way to meet Sheriff Forbes, John took Damon aside to have a word with him.

"What now, John, more empty threats?" Damon asked.

"I don't think it's appropriate for you to be buying Phoebe such expensive clothes," said John.

"She needed a killer dress for the pageant. All I did was offer my services. She's the one that accepted my offer," said Damon.

"Yeah, well she's a little young to have a sugar daddy," replied John.

Damon rolled his eyes, "Look, if you're that worried about it, I'll send you the bill. Problem solved."

John wasn't given the chance to respond, because Damon continued on to find Liz. John took a moment, then followed. Phoebe waits a little while, then goes looking for Damon. She finds him, and asks him what's going on.

"There were signs of struggle in the upstairs bathroom," said Damon. "There was blood."

"Oh, my god," said Phoebe. "That Amber girl's been missing for hours."

Elena, who had been talking to Bonnie, joined the conversation, "No. H-h-h-he wouldn't hurt her. He won't."

"Elena, open your eyes. He is _not_ the Stefan you know, right now," said Phoebe.

Damon, for the first time, played peacemaker, "Let's just find him, okay?"

The twins both nodded, and followed him to get their coats. Bonnie did the same, and followed them outside to look for Stefan.

Meanwhile, outside, Stefan is pacing frantically. He asks Amber why she isn't afraid of him, and she reminds him that he told her not to be. He then tells her that he needs her to become afraid of him, and to run like hell. She does, but he chases her down and bites her again. Damon, Phoebe, Elena, and Bonnie hear Amber scream and come running.

"Stefan!" cried Elena. Phoebe grabbed her sister, holding her away from Stefan.

"Stefan!" called Damon, putting himself between his brother and the three girls. "Come on. Get control of it. Come on."

Elena saw the blood on Stefan's face, and became horrified.

"It's okay. Come on," Damon coached, moving closer to his brother. "Breath through it, man."

Stefan threw his brother aside, then moved towards him in an aggressive manner.

"Stefan, stop it!" Elena cried. It was her turn to hold Phoebe back.

Bonnie did something witchy that put Stefan in a lot of pain, before snapping him out of his frenzy. When he did, he became sad. He saw the horror on Elena's face, then looked at his brother. Damon tried telling him it was okay, but he took off into the night.

Later, an ambulance is called to take care of Amber, and Sheriff Forbes gets statements from Damon and the three girls. Their story is that they called Damon, after they found Amber laying unconscious. Elena tries talking to Bonnie again, as they walk away from the scene, but she snaps at Elena and leaves.

Inside, John asks Jenna who Anna is. She tells her that her and her mother Pearl are new in town, and they're the one's wanting to buy his brother's building. A light bulb goes off for John, as he realizes that Anna and her mother are vampires.

Outside, Rick pulls the car around for Jenna and the girls. While Phoebe retrieves Jenna from inside, Elena asks Rick for help with Stefan. The twins go home, get changed, before heading to the Boarding House. While they do that, Damon goes home to find Pearl and Anna waiting for him. Pearl gives Damon the Gilbert device as a peace offering. She tells him she and Anna want to stay in Mystic Falls, so she wants to make peace. Damon accepts it.

When the twins arrive, Elena argues with Stefan in his room. He gets angry and pins her against the wardrobe. He apologizes, and begins crying on her shoulder. As he does, she stabs him with a vervain dart, knocking him out. Damon and Phoebe arrive, and help carry him down to the basement, where they lock him in a cell to dry out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a lot of fun writing this chapter. Originally I wasn't going to have Phoebe win, but after I found that dress for her and reflected on her relationship with Caroline, I couldn't pass up the opportunity for some harmless competition. So what did you guys think of this chapter? What do you guys think of Agnes and Zoie? Will being co-winners force Caroline and Phoebe to finally get along? Or will it make them hate each other more? What do you guys think is gonna happen next (with Stefan's detox, Isobel's return, and what happens in the finale)?


	20. Blood Brothers

Chapter 20: Blood Brothers

It's been several days since the Miss Mystic Falls Pageant, and Stefan is still sulking in the basement of the Salvatore Boarding House. As he lays there, he thinks back to 1864 when he and Damon were shot and killed trying to free Katherine. He also thinks about the day after, when they were in transition.

Elena hasn't left the Boarding House since they locked Stefan up. Phoebe makes trips to bring her a change of clothes on occassion, as well as her missed schoolwork. They tell Jenna that Stefan is sick and Elena is taking care of him, that's why she is over there so much.

Anna has registered at the high school, so she can see Jeremy more often. She surprises him with the news by showing up at the school one morning. He's surprised that she would put up with going to high school just to spend more time with him, but admits that it's an awesome sentiment.

Meanwhile, Uncle John takes Phoebe to the doctor's office for an appointment. While John signs her in, she makes a quick call to Damon.

Damon gave an involuntary smile, as he answered his phone, "Shouldn't you been in class?"

"Not today," said Phoebe. She sounded tired, and a little hoarse.

"You don't sound too good. Everything okay?" Damon asked, somewhat conscerned.

Phoebe coughed, "Just a little sick. I'll be fine, I'm at the doctor now. Elena still watching Stefan?"

"Yeah," replied Damon.

"That's gotta be hard," she began. She had to stop to clear her throat. "Seeing him like that, I mean."

"She's the one who locked him up," he mumbled.

"You helped," she retorted.

"Well, yeah, I couldn't have him running around chewing on people, while the town was looking for vampires," he defended, jokingly.

Phoebe laughed a little, which only made her cough more, "And it has nothing to do with you actually caring about him?"

"That's your sister's thing, not mine," Damon dismissed."Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine," Phoebe said, dismissively. "Did you ever figure out what that device did?"

"Nope," Damon sighed. "Whatever it is, it doesn't work."

"Maybe it's just a piece of a larger device," Phoebe suggested.

"Maybe. That Johnathan Gilbert was a crazy scientist," he replied. "Speaking of Johnathan Gilbert, have you spoken to your uncle, lately?"

"He's here at the doctor's office with me right now," she answered. She cleared her throat again. "Wanna say hi?"

"Phoebe Gilbert," called the nurse.

"I gotta go. I'll take another look at the device tonight, and see if I can figure something out," said Phoebe.

"So, you'll be here tonight?" Damon asked. He was hoping she would be, but didn't want to seem too eager.

"Is that a problem?" Phoebe countered.

"Yes. You're a complete neusence," he joked.

Phoebe smiled, "I'll see you later."

Damon smiled, too, as he hung up the phone.

John went with Phoebe into the examine room to wait for the doctor. The nurse asked her the usual questions, took her vitals, etc, and then left. While they waited, John decided to talk to her about something he'd been wanting to talk to her about for a while now.

"Phoebe, there's something I've been wanting to talk to you about for a while now, but we never seem to have the chance," John began. "Now, I understand if you're too sick to wanna talk now, but I just want you to know that I know you know about what Damon and his brother are."

"I was wondering when you were gonna get around to telling me that," said Phoebe. "Well, now that that's out of the way, there's something I wanna say to you. Damon told me about you threatening to out him to the Council."

"Did he also tell you he tried to kill me?" John interrupted.

"He didn't try, he succeeded," said Phoebe. She coughed a little. "You came back because of that magic ring on your finger."

John seemed impressed. Not just because she'd noticed his ring, but that Damon would admit to her that he had killed her uncle.

"I love you, Uncle John, but I also care about Damon...He's my friend...And just as he's developed the instinct to kill every threat that comes his way, you've been raised to hate every vampire equally," Phoebe began. She stopped to cough a little bit more. "Probably him more so because he killed you, and because he's friends with your favorite niece."

John smiled.

"But he's willing to ignore that instinct and leave you alone, for me," she continued. Phoebe cleared her throat, then asked. "Can you ignore your instincts and leave him alone, for me, too?"

John wasn't sure how to respond. His protective instincts screamed for him to kill Damon before he hurt her, or got her killed; but at the same time, if Damon could go against his self-preservation instincts and not kill him for her sake, then why couldn't he do the same?

"Phoebe Gilbert," said Doctor Cooper, entering the room. John was thankful for his timing, because it meant he didn't have to give Phoebe an answer right now. "I heard you won the Miss Mystic Falls Pageant. Congratulations."

"Co-won, but thanks, Doc," Phoebe wheezed.

"Uh-oh. Have you been taking your medicine?" he asked.

Phoebe nodded.

Doctor Cooper listened to her breathing with his stethoscope, then declared, "Well, Phoebe, it looks like you've got pneumonia, again. You know what that means."

Phoebe sighed, "Lots of rest, lots of fluids, and more meds."

Doctor Cooper smiled, "I trust everyone else knows the drill, too?"

Phoebe nodded.

"Good," said the doctor. He was about to turn away to write her a prescription, when he noticed her wrist. He looked at her other one, but it was bare, too.

John noticed this and questioned it, "Is something wrong?"

"Phoebe, why aren't you wearing your medical alert bracelet?" Doctor Cooper asked.

Phoebe looked away sheepishly, "I forgot."

John looked at her wrists too, then commented, "You know come to think of it, I don't remember you wearing it all, since I've been back."

Phoebe avoided looking at both of the men.

"Phoebe, you have to wear that bracelet," said the doctor. "You can't always expect to have someone who knows about your condition to be around. If something were to happen without any of them around, you wouldn't even be able to tell the EMTs what's wrong with you."

Phoebe nodded so as to say "I know.".

"I'll make sure she puts it on, as soon as we get home," said John.

The doctor wrote down Phoebe's prescription, and handed it to John, "Get well soon, Phoebe. Call me if she gets any worse."

"Thank you," said John.

Meanwhile at the Boarding House, Damon tries giving Stefan some animal blood, but he refuses to eat. Elsewhere, John and Phoebe have her prescription filled at the pharmacy, and head home. When they got home, Phoebe headed upstairs, leaving John to tell Aunt Jenna what the doctor said. Jenna wasn't surprised to hear that she had pneumonia again, but she was surprised to hear that Phoebe hadn't been wearing her bracelet. John accuses her off not being a good guardian for not making sure she wears it.

While the two of them argued downstairs, Phoebe called Damon – who had to switch over from a call with Rick.

"Hey. What'd the doctor say?" Damon asked.

"I'll tell you when I get there," Phoebe replied, hoarsely. She began throwing some of Elena's clothes in a bag. "How's Stefan?"

"Extra broody. Hold on," said Damon. He switched back over to Rick, quickly finished their call, then got back to Phoebe. "He won't eat anything."

Phoebe finished with Elena's things, and walked into her room, "He has to eat. What's his favorite kind of...um..."

The corners of Damon's mouth played into a smile, "His favorite kind of what?"

Phoebe finished packing up her nebulizer, then finished her thought, "...animal blood?"

"Eww, gross," Damon joked.

"Is it sad that I can ask that as though I were talking about normal food?" she asked, throwing clothes into her own bag.

"Just means you're accepting what we are as normal," said Damon. "Stefan likes...puppy blood." Little golden retriever ones, with cute floppy ears. That's his favorite."

Phoebe fought back the urge to throw up, "Did I forget to mention that I'm fairly nauseated, and picturing Stefan eating a cute little puppy with floppy ears does _not_ help me?"

"Oops," said Damon.

"I'll see you soon," said Phoebe, hanging up the phone. Uncle John had come upstairs and found her packing.

"Where do you think you're going?" he asked.

"To the Boarding House," she answered, simply.

"Like hell you are. You're sick. You need to get in bed," John argued.

"And I will get in bed. It'll just be at the Salvatore House," replied Phoebe.

"Phoebe-," John began.

Phoebe cut him off, "You want me to stay here? Tell me what the device is."

John tried to feign ignorance, by shaking his head and looking clueless.

"The device you want Damon to get from Pearl. What does it do?" Phoebe clarified. "Tell me that, and I'll stay here."

John looked her in the eye, and wanted to tell her something that would make her stay, but nothing he could think to say would work. She was like a human lie detector sometimes. John took a breath, "At least put on your bracelet."

Phoebe walked over to her dresser, and pulled her medical alert bracelet out of her jewelry box. She brought it over to John, gestured for him to help her put it on. He did, and she hid it beneath the sleeve of her sweater. She grabbed her bags, and headed downstairs. Phoebe had Jenna drive her to the Salvatore House, since she was sick and John didn't get along with Damon.

When Phoebe arrives at the Boarding House, Elena is in the basement trying to convince Stefan to eat. Phoebe filled Damon in on her having pneumonia, but left out the part about having it a lot.

"Phoebe, you should be in bed," said Damon.

"I know, and I plan to be," said Phoebe.

Damon caught on, "First my car, now my bed. I'm starting to think you only like me for my things."

Phoebe smiled, and headed upstairs. Damon carried her bags for her, and helped her get settled in to _his_ bed. She had him plug in her nebulizer, and he watched her assemble it and put in the medicine.

"I take it you've used one of these before," Damon guessed.

Phoebe hesitated, "Nope. They showed me how to use it at the doctor's office."

Damon knew she was lying, but didn't push.

"So tell me the rest of the story," said Phoebe. Damon looked confused. "Stefan told me about you two meeting Katherine and her compulsion and all that, but he never told me how you two became vampires."

Damon shrugged, "We died, woke up in transition, fed on human blood, and now we're vampires. The end!"

Phoebe gave him a look.

"Fine."

Phoebe switched on her nebulizer, and held the mask to her face, while Damon told the story. He told her about trying to free Katherine, and getting shot by their father. He told her about the next day, when they woke up in transition, and how he had decided to die; but Stefan forced him to turn, after accidentally killing their father. He even told her how he vowed to make Stefan's life an eternity of misery. By the time he was finished telling the tale, Phoebe had finished taking her medicine and Rick had arrived.

"Are you gonna be okay here, if I run out? I have to run an errand with the history teacher," said Damon.

"Alaric? Are you two friends now?" Phoebe asked.

"I don't have any friends, Phoebe."

Phoebe gave him a look.

"Except you," he corrected. "Get some rest. I won't be long."

Phoebe takes his advice, and takes a long nap. Later that evening, John has drinks with Pearl at the Grill. He's trying to convince her to give him the device. At the Gilbert House, Jeremy and Anna are spending some quality time together. Meanwhile, Damon and Rick arrive at the house they think Isobel is staying in to find a tomb vampire, named Henry, staying there.

Back at the Salvatore House, Phoebe and Elena talk about Stefan.

"I don't know what to do, Phoebe. It's like he's completely shut down," said Elena. "He won't talk to me, and he won't eat."

"I don't know what to tell you. I'm only an expert on one vampire, and even then I'm not really much of an expert," replied Phoebe. She sounded a little better than before. Since she had been sleeping, she hadn't been coughing, thus making her hoarse.

Elena nodded thoughtfully. Phoebe had an idea, but Elena missed her giveaway face.

"Why don't you get out of the house for a little bit?" Phoebe suggested. Elena looked about ready to argue against it, but Phoebe stopped her, "I'm not saying go out to a party or go home for the night, I'm saying go to the Grill and pick up some food for us. You need to eat something, too, and I could use some soup."

Elena thought it over, then nodded in agreement. She thanked her sister, then headed out. Meanwhile, Damon and Rick learn from Henry that John has been helping him get adjusted to the modern world. The also learn that he hasn't even heard of Isobel. The two are forced to kill Henry to prevent him from telling John that they were there. After which, they have a drink together and talk.

At the Grill, John gets bored with playing nice, and insults Pearl. She gets up to leave, but informs him that she gave the device to Damon already. Elena arrives and sits at the bar. She orders some food for her and Phoebe, and waits.

Back at the Boarding House, Phoebe makes her way downstairs, and into the basement to see Stefan. She stood on her tip-toes to peer at him through the bars.

"You know, Damon hasn't fed me vervain in a while. I could be at those bars in a flash, and you'd be dead," said Stefan. He didn't even look up at her. He probably just assumed it was Elena.

"Well, aren't you just a ray of sunshine, Mr. McBroody-pants," Phoebe replied.

If there was any question before, Stefan knew now that it was Phoebe. He lifted his head to look at her, but maintained his poker face, "Please just go away. I don't want you here."

"Well, that's too bad, Grumpy-fangs, because what you want and what you need are two very different things," Phoebe retorted, opening the cell door.

"What are you doing?" Stefan asked.

Phoebe stepped inside.

"Get out of here," he told her.

"No."

"You're taking a stupid risk. I could hurt you," said Stefan.

Phoebe picked up the bottle of blood, and handed it towards him, "Then I'm stupid. Drink."

"Phoebe, get out of here, or you'll regret it," Stefan warned.

"Okay, let's not confuse my increased heart rate with me being scared of you, I've got pneumonia," Phoebe replied. "Now drink."

Stefan got to his feet, knocked the bottle out of her hands, and then yelled in her face, "I said get out!"

Phoebe turned away and coughed, "Apparently Damon hasn't let you brush your teeth, either."

Stefan looked at her confusedly, then walked away to sit down on the cot.

"Well, if you're done trying to scare me off, maybe we can get going," said Phoebe.

"Going? Going where?" Stefan questioned.

"You and I are gonna go on a little field trip, Stefan," Phoebe replied.

Meanwhile at Pearl's, Anna returns to find her mother packing their things. She tells her daughter that they have to leave, because too many people know the truth about them. Anna doesn't want to leave, because she's finally building a life for herself. Pearl won't force her to leave, but she and Harper are leaving. Anna later sneaks over to the Gilbert House, and in to Jeremy's bed, while he's sleeping to say goodbye.

Back at the Boarding House, Elena returns with dinner the same time Damon returns from his outing with Rick. The two acknowledge one another, before heading off to tend to their own siblings. Damon is horrified to find the cell door open, and Stefan gone. He flits upstairs to check on Phoebe, only to become even more worried, when he and Elena find her gone, too.

Meanwhile, Stefan and Phoebe arrive at the quarry. Stefan looked around as though her were reliving that night.

"Damon told me the rest of the story," said Phoebe.

"I should've died that night, just like I had chosen," said Stefan. "I should have let Damon die, too."

"But you didn't. And killing yourself now isn't going to change what happened," said Phoebe.

"Every single person that's been hurt...every single life that's been lost, because of me...," Stefan began. He seemed to struggle for words. "I made a choice, Phoebe. And because of that choice, a lot of people were hurt."

Phoebe shrugged, "So were the people on the Titanic. Stupid decisions were made, and a lot of people died. But the world learned from those mistakes."

"Don't do that. Don't pretend this is nothing," said Stefan, with a wave of his hand.

"I'm not, Stefan. People make mistakes, it's how we learn. We all have regrets...including Elena," Phoebe replied. Having caught his attention, Phoebe explained. "The night our parents died Elena blew off family night to go to some party. She got into a fight with Matt, and our parents had to go pick her up. That's why they ended up in the car on Wickery Bridge, and that's why they died...She's blamed herself for that ever since...Now, I'm going to tell you what I told her. Our actions are what set things in motion, but we have to live with them. You gave in to your predatory instincts, but you also made a choice to stop and to reject the person that the blood made you."

"No. Please don't do that," Stefan told her.

"That's the person who jumped in the water to save the family whose car went off the bridge," she continued, moving closer to him.

"Please. Don't make this all okay," Stefan pleaded.

She ignored his please, and continued, "That's the person who saved my sister's life."

"You don't understand, Phoebe," he told her.

"Then tell me."

"It hurts me. It hurts me, knowing what I've done, and that pain - that pain is with me all the time. And every day, I think that if I just - if I just give myself over to the blood, I can make that pain stop. It would be that easy, and every day, I fight that. And I am so terrified that one day, I'm not gonna want to fight that anymore, Phoebe. And the next time I hurt somebody...it could be Elena," Stefan explained. His eyes were full of tears.

Phoebe reached out and took his hands in hers – in a comforting way, and looked him in the eye, "Stefan, anything is possible, especially when you're a capable of living several lifetimes. So you may end up hurting her one day. But the chance of never hurting her resides under the same category of anything being possible. My money is on the latter."

Stefan began to feel a strange sense of calm, as she spoke, but the more important question to ask was, "How can you be so sure?"

Where Stefan was beginning to feel calm, Phoebe was beginning to feel a little sad. But she pushed through it, "Because you're not alone. Damon cares about you whether he cares to admit it or not, and he would never let you live through the horror of hurting the woman you love."

Phoebe released Stefan's hands, and took his daylight ring out of her pocket, "If you've finally reached your limit and just want to end it all, then toss this ring into the quarry, and enjoy your last sunrise. But if there's even the smallest glimmer of hope still inside of you, then put this ring back on your finger, and let's go home. It's your choice."

Stefan stared at the ring, considering her words. When he made his decision, he took the ring from her and slipped it back on to his finger. Phoebe let out a breath of relief, and Stefan hugged her, "Thank you."

"If you really wanna thank me, get me back home. I've got pneumonia for Pete's sake, I should be in bed," she joked. Stefan laughed.

While Stefan brought Phoebe back to the Boarding House, John killed Pearl and Harper as they were preparing to leave. Back at the Boarding House, Stefan and Phoebe's siblings were both upset and relieved to see they were both alright. Elena helped Phoebe back to bed and they talked about what happened, while downstairs Damon had a few words with his brother.

"What were you thinking, Phoebe?" Elena scolded, helping her sister into Damon's bed.

"Quite a lot of things, actually. I'm a genius, so my mind is always racing with thoughts," Phoebe replied, with a smirk.

Elena sighed, "Phoebe, I'm serious. Do you have any idea how worried we were?"

"I'm sorry. I had an idea, and I went with it," said Phoebe. "I couldn't let you or Damon help, because then it wouldn't have worked. Damon would have added unnecessary commentary, which would have gotten us nowhere, and you...it was obvious that he didn't want to tell you what was on his mind."

Elena's eyes dropped to the floor.

"He loves you, Elena," Phoebe added, placing a comforting hand on her sister's arm. "He was afraid of what you'd think of him. Damon's the same way sometimes."

"How do you do it? How do you get him to tell you things?" Elena asked.

"They're more alike than you think. As long as you can assure them that whatever it is won't make you think less of them, while at the same time showing them that you aren't going to be scared off; they'll tell you what's on their mind," Phoebe answered.

Elena smiled, "Thanks, Phoebe."

Phoebe smiled and nodded. Damon entered his room, as Elena left to find Stefan.

"You just had to save him, didn't you?" Damon joked, sitting next to her on the bed.

Phoebe shrugged, "Well, the guy did save my life once. I figured I should probably return the favor."

Damon smirked, "So how are you feeling?"

"Fine," Phoebe lied.

"Liar. I can hear your heart racing from here," said Damon.

"Well, how do you know it's not you making it do that?" Phoebe countered. Damon's eyebrows shot up, and his smirk grew into a cocky smile. Phoebe kicked herself mentally, as she buried her face in her hands.

Damon laughed at her, and pulled her hands away from her face. As he did, one of his hands brushed up against her face. It felt hot. His smile vanished, and he purposely touched her head to feel just how hot she was.

"What?" Phoebe asked.

"Phoebe, you're burning up," said Damon.

"Says the guy who doesn't produce any body heat," she remarked.

Damon pulled a vial out of his pocket and handed it to her, "Here. Drink this."

"What is it?" she asked, cautiously taking the vial.

"I stopped by Agnes and Zoie's to tell them that you won the pageant," said Damon. "I also mentioned that you were sick with pneumonia, and they made you something to help get better."

"I realize that in your day people died when they had pneumonia, but nowadays we have proper medicines," Phoebe replied. Damon gave her rare serious look. Phoebe took the vial and drank the contents. "So, how was your errand?"

"Futile. Although, I think I witnessed a teacher having an existential crisis," he answered, moving to sit next to her on the passenger side of the bed.

Phoebe leaned sideways, resting her head on Damon's shoulder, "You know, I'm glad everything turned out the way it did."

Damon rolled his eyes, "Yeah, we're all glad Stefan's okay."

"No, not Stefan. You," she corrected, yawning. That potion was making her sleepy.

"What about me?" he asked her, confused.

"Stefan forced you to turn, you swore to make his life a living hell, you thought Katherine was in the tomb," Phoebe began.

"Why are you happy about those things?" he asked her, even more confused.

"Because," she began. She re-positioned to face him with her entire body, and wrapped her arms around his arm, and nuzzled her face into his shoulder. "If none of that had happened, we never would have met."

Damon smiled to himself, as he leaned his head over to rest on hers. They stayed like that for a while, even after Phoebe fell asleep. Meanwhile, Anna returns home to find her mother and Harper dead; and Rick receives a visit from Isobel at the Grill.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this chapter was so short, guys, I just couldn't see much of anything to do with this one. I was also in a hurry to get it out, because I need your help with something. The Originals start showing up in season 2, and though Phemon will happen, I still want Phoebe to catch the eye off an Original brother – either Elijah or Niklaus or both. I love both of them for her, and I can't decide, so please help me by voting. If you have any comments or ideas please feel free to send me a message or leave it in a review. :)


	21. Isobel

Chapter 21: Isobel

"Hello, Rick," said a familiar voice.

Rick turned to his right to find Isobel sitting a couple of bar stools down. He then replied, calmly, "Isobel."

Isobel smiled, "It's good to see you. You look good."

Rick said nothing.

"I hear that you're a high school History teacher? How-how is that?" she asked, trying to make small talk.

"Where have you been, Isobel?" Rick asked.

"I don't have any answers that are gonna comfort you. I don't have any explanations that are gonna satisfy you," Isobel replied, nonchalantly. "I wanted this."

"It's that simple?" he asked.

"Yeah. You were supposed to mourn me and move on," she replied.

"You were my wife. And I loved you," he told her. "How could I not look for you?"

"Because I wasn't lost, Rick," said Isobel. She took a pen out of her purse and began scribbling her number down onto a napkin. "I understand that you know my daughters Phoebe and Elena. I hear Elena's been looking for me. Unfortunately, I'm only interested in talking to Phoebe."

Rick remained silent, as he searched her eyes for the woman he married.

Isobel hopped down off her stool and handed him the napkin, "So...I want you to arrange a meeting for us. But just the two of us. No Elena, no you, and no Salvatore brothers."

"You want me," Rick began. He paused to clear his throat. "To deliver a message?"

Isobel smiled, "Yeah."

Realizing this person was no longer his wife, Rick finished his drink, and got up to leave. Before leaving though, he told her, "Screw you...you selfish bitch."

Isobel followed Rick out to the parking lot, and pinned him against his car, with her hand around his throat.

"What do you want from me?" Rick rasped.

"I told you," Isobel replied.

"I'm not gonna do anything for you," Rick spat.

Isobel tightened her grip, "You better tell Phoebe that I want to meet, or I'm gonna start killing the citizens of this town one by one, and I'm gonna start with your History students. Got it?"

She seemed to believe that he got the message, because she released him and left him with the bar napkin containing her number.

The next morning at the Gilbert house, Phoebe got a call from Damon, while she was getting ready for school. She smiled at her phone, before answering, "Hello, Damon."

"How are you feeling?" Damon asked.

"I was just there, Damon, you know how I'm feeling," Phoebe replied, shoving her art supplies into her bag. "That potion Agnes and Zoie made me cleared my pneumonia right up. And even if it hadn't, I'd still have to go to school today."

Damon furrowed his eyebrows, "For what?"

"Caroline and I need to get to work on our Miss Mystic Falls Float for the Founders' Day Parade. I made some sketches last night that I'm hoping she'll like," Phoebe replied. "How's Stefan?"

"Ugh. He's terrible," said Damon.

"What's the matter?" Phoebe asked, mildly concerned.

"He's just back to boring, straight-leg, off the junk Stefan," he joked. "Whatever you did has successfully cured him of anything remotely interesting about his personality."

"Don't forget who helped me," she replied in a sing-song voice.

"I hate myself," he responded in kind.

Phoebe laughed, "I gotta go. I'll talk to you later."

"Have a good day," said Damon.

After ending her call with Damon, Phoebe headed down to the kitchen to grab Jeremy and head to school. Everyone was confused to see her dressed and ready for school, after being diagnosed with pneumonia just yesterday.

"What are you doing out of bed?" Jenna asked her.

"Going to school?" Phoebe replied, questioningly.

"But you're sick. I was there when the doctor told you that you had pneumonia again," said John.

"So was I. But I'm better now," said Phoebe.

"Pneumonia doesn't just go away over night," said Jenna.

"It does when you drink a magic potion," Phoebe replied. John and Elena both choked on their coffee, while Phoebe and Jeremy laughed.

Jenna, who didn't know she was serious, assumed she meant medicine when she said "Potion". Jenna looked at John and Elena in confusion, as she told Phoebe, "Well, just because you're feeling better right now, doesn't mean you won't start feeling bad later. Just take it easy. And if you start feeling bad, come home. Okay?"

Phoebe gave her a nod and a thumbs up in response, and headed out with Jeremy – who gave her a high-five, as they left the kitchen. At school, Phoebe found Caroline in the cafeteria, sitting alone, waiting for her. Phoebe sat in the seat across from her, "Morning, Caroline."

"Where have you been?" Caroline questioned. "We have a float to design."

"I wasn't feeling well," Phoebe answered. "But don't worry, I didn't forget about the float."

"We should've started working on this after the pageant. You know it's going to take us forever to agree on something, if at all," Caroline remarked, doing something on her laptop.

Phoebe took out her sketchbook, and began opening it to the page with her float idea, "If you're looking up last year's float, I already did that. It was horrible."

Caroline pulled up the image of last year's Miss Mystic Float, and made a face, "Eww."

Phoebe made a face just remembering it, "Yeah. I also looked up the year before that, and the year before that, and the year before that."

"And did you have any ideas?" Caroline asked.

"Not from them, no. I went looking elsewhere for inspiration, and found an idea that I think you might like," Phoebe replied. She found the pages with her float ideas on them, and looked them over one last time, before handing them over. There was an old photo of Damon from 1864 tucked in the book with them. Phoebe held onto the photo, and passed the sketch book to Caroline.

Caroline examined Phoebe's sketches, fully prepared to tell her how badly they sucked, only to be pleasantly surprised, "I do like it. Classic Southern Elegance. How did you know?"

"You channel Scarlett daily," Phoebe replied, jokingly.

Caroline was about to argue, but instead agreed, "True."

The two then experienced a never before experienced phenomenon – they shared a laugh. This wasn't an awkward laugh, or a fake laugh, it was a genuine laugh. For both of them. But before a black hole or some other catastrophe could form, Rick came over and requested Phoebe help him with something. Phoebe left her sketches with Caroline, and followed Rick to his classroom, where Stefan and Elena were already waiting.

"What's going on?" Phoebe asked, with a confused expression. Before she could get an answer, Damon entered the room behind her.

"Sorry I'm late. Dog ate my, uh," he began to joke. He stopped after noticing that no one – except Phoebe – seemed to be amused. Damon – now standing next to Phoebe – leaned towards her and asked, "What's goin' on?"

Phoebe shrugged and shook her head, "No clue."

"I saw Isobel last night," said Rick. That got everyone's attention.

"Isobel's here?" Damon asked. "In town?"

Rick nodded.

"Did you ask her about her working with John?" Damon asked.

"No," Rick replied.

"Did you ask her about the invention?" Damon asked.

"Didn't ask," said Rick.

"Does she know about the tomb vampires?" Damon asked.

"I-I don't know," said Rick.

Damon began to get annoyed, and fairly irritable that Rick hadn't bothered to ask these very important questions, "Did words escape you completely?"

"You know, I was a little too distracted by my dead, vampire ex-wife to ask any questions!" Rick snapped, getting in Damon's face.

Phoebe stepped in between them, placing a hand on either of their chests, "This isn't helping."

Rick and Damon both began to feel a strange sense of calm creeping up on them, and took a few steps back.

"What does Isobel want?" Elena asked.

"She wants me to arrange a meeting with her and Phoebe," Rick answered. "Just Phoebe. No me, no you, and no Salvatores. Her words."

"Why me? Elena's the one that actually wants to meet her," said Phoebe.

Rick shrugged, "I don't know."

Phoebe walked over to a desk and sat on the top of it, trying to think.

"You don't have to see her, if you don't want to," Damon told her.

"She doesn't really have a choice," said Rick.

"What do you mean?" Stefan asked.

"She's threatening to go on a killing spree, if Phoebe doesn't meet with her," Rick answered.

Damon took a look around the room at everyone's reactions, "I take it that's not okay with you guys?"

Phoebe knew he was just teasing, and gave him a smirk, while everyone else shot him looks.

"I don't understand. Why just Phoebe? Why not both of us?" Elena questioned.

The answer hit Phoebe, like an anvil falling on a cartoon character, "Because you can't give her what she wants."

Everyone looked at Phoebe, and waited for a further explanation.

"We already know she's working with Uncle John, right?" Phoebe began.

Everyone nodded.

"And we know John wants the device, which he hasn't been able to get yet, so it makes sense that she's gonna give it a go now," said Phoebe.

"Yeah, but you don't have the device," said Stefan. "Damon does."

"Yeah, why doesn't she just go to Damon?" asked Rick.

Phoebe stood back up, and gestured to Damon, like one of those game show eye candies presenting a prize, "Have you met Damon?"

There were some snorts of amusement, but mostly looks of "good point".

"Okay, that explains why she won't go straight to Damon," Rick began.

"But not why she wants to see you," Elena finished. "I mean, why not Stefan? He's his brother, and they live in the same house."

"Because Stefan cannot get away with doing this..." said Phoebe, moving to face Damon. "I'm sorry."

"For wh-," Damon began. He was cut short by Phoebe's hand colliding with his face. Stefan, Elena, and Rick all reacted with surprise; while Damon barely even blinked.

Phoebe cringed, and looked at him apologetically, "I said I was sorry."

Damon nodded to let her know it was okay, then announced, "She's right, if Stefan tried that I'd knock his head off his shoulders."

"Okay, so I'll meet with Isobel, and see if I can get her to tell me what she wants it for," said Phoebe. "Rick – Mr. Saltzman – set it up."

Meanwhile at Isobel's squatter house, John drops by for a little visit. The two argue about her presence in Mystic Falls, and how it's affecting things. John doesn't think it's a good idea for her to be there, but Isobel disagrees. She tells him that so far his attempts to get the device have failed, so now it's her turn to try.

After school, Phoebe went to the Grill to wait for Isobel, while everyone else waited in the square across the street. As she waited in the Grill, Phoebe looked through some 1864-style dress ideas that Caroline had given her to go through. Caroline had already picked hers, and given Phoebe a stack of ideas to pick from that she found to be acceptable. Once Phoebe did pick hers, she was going to have Agnes and Zoie make their dresses, rather than order ones made of cheap material on the internet.

Phoebe was so focused on looking through the dresses, she didn't even notice Isobel had arrived until she said something, "Hello, Phoebe."

Phoebe looked up to see Isobel sitting in the booth across from her.

"You look just like her. It's eerie," said Isobel. "She would be fascinated by you."

Phoebe shrugged, as she put away the stack of dress ideas, "I'm used to sharing a face with someone. It's nothing exciting."

Isobel smiled, "I hear you share more than your face with Katherine. Damon Salvatore?"

"Sharing would imply that she too spends time with him," said Phoebe, closing her bag. She looked Isobel in the eye, as she continued. "Katherine abandoned him over a hundred years ago. I'd say she's lost any hold she had over him."

"I had no idea you were so jealous of Katherine," said Isobel, still smiling.

"Not jealous. Possessive," Phoebe corrected. "Jealousy is when you want something you don't have."

Isobel laughed.

"Look, if you don't mind, I'd like to skip the small talk and the banter, and get down to the bottom line," said Phoebe, as politely as she could manage. "What do you want from me?"

"I want what your uncle wants – Johnathan Gilbert's invention," Isobel replied.

"How do you know Uncle John?" Phoebe asked.

"I thought you wanted to cut the small talk," said Isobel.

"I'm not making small talk. I want to know how you know Uncle John," Phoebe replied.

"I used to spend a lot of time here when I was younger. John had a crush on me for years. He was the first one that told me about vampires," Isobel answered.

Another anvil fell for Phoebe, but she maintained her poker face, "I don't have the invention."

"But Damon does," said Isobel.

"Yeah, and you want me to get it from him. I already know," said Phoebe, waving her hand dismissively. "But I need something from you in return."

Isobel was about to remind her that this wasn't a negotiation, because if she didn't get her the device then she would begin killing people; but she remained silent. She was curious to see what Phoebe would ask her for.

Phoebe took out a pen, scribbled something down on a napkin, and passed it to Isobel. Isobel read the napkin, then extended a hand for Phoebe to shake, "Deal."

While the two had been talking inside, Damon explained the humanity switch to Rick across the street. He explained that a vampire's nature is not to feel anything – guilt, regret, pain, etc. Stefan, on the other hand, prefers to feel everything. Rick points out that even though Damon's a dick, he still sees something good in him, but with Isobel there was nothing there. Damon denies having any good qualities, and jokes that it's why he's so fun to be around. Rick reminds him of his soft spot for Phoebe, which Damon has no response to.

On her way out of the Grill, Phoebe runs into Bonnie. She treats Phoebe with the same coldness she's been treating Elena and the brothers with, and continues walking. Phoebe grabs Bonnie's arm and takes her aside.

"Look, I get that you hate Stefan and Damon, because you blame them for Ms. Sheila's death – and you have every right to. I also get you not wanting to force Elena to choose between you and Stefan. But you're treating her like she killed your grandmother," said Phoebe.

"Phoebe, this really isn't any of your business," Bonnie replied, trying to get away. Phoebe wouldn't let her.

"Actually, it _is_ my business, because it's _my_ sister we're talking about," Phoebe disagreed. "She's going through a lot, and she really needs a friend right now. She can't talk to Caroline, because – aside from her having an emotional range of a teaspoon – Caroline doesn't know anything about any of this supernatural stuff. She needs you."

"She has you," Bonnie remarked, in a seemingly uncaring tone.

Phoebe getting close to losing her cool, "Bonnie...Elena did _not_ kill your grandmother. For that matter, neither did the brothers."

"Are you kidding me? If she hadn't tried to save them, she'd be alive right now!" Bonnie snapped.

"Exactly, Bonnie, she made the choice! No one forced her to save them. She was a powerful witch, and a strong woman. If she didn't want to even open that tomb in the first place, she didn't have to. But she chose to help, because she was a good person. So if you wanna be angry with someone, be angry with her. But don't blame my sister," Phoebe replied. When she finished, she headed across the street to tell the others how her meeting with Isobel went.

Meanwhile at the Gilbert house, Jeremy tries calling Anna again. She still won't answer. John overhears him leaving her another message, and offers to talk to him about it. Jeremy declines, knowing that John knows what Anna is, and is just going to try talking him to giving up on her.

Later that night, Damon pays Isobel a visit at her squatter house. He tries to get more information out of her, but the only thing she'll tell him is that she's working for Katherine. Damon gets Isobel's undivided attention, and tells her that he's not happy about her coming into his town and threatening the people he cares about, especially Phoebe. He tells her to tell Katherine that if she wants something from him, she can come get it herself.

Meanwhile at the Gilbert house, Phoebe and John are unable to sleep. They have the same idea to get a midnight snack, and head down to the kitchen. They each have a slice of pie – one of them on each side of the island – while Phoebe tells him about her meeting with Isobel. When she'd finished, he asked her, "What did you ask her for in return?"

Phoebe looked down at her pie, and played with it, "I've known for years that Elena and I were adopted. So I couldn't go by the Sommers' family medical history," Phoebe began. "So I asked Isobel to get me a complete medical history for her family. I need to know who passed this down to me."

John nodded thoughtfully, "Understandable. But what about your father's family? Did she tell you who he was?"

"No," said Phoebe. She looked at him now. "You did."

John just looked back at her, waiting for her to elaborate.

"I know I'm still a Gilbert. I know you're my father," said Phoebe. John still said nothing. "Do you remember when Elena and I were about 4 years old, and you came for that 2 month long visit?"

John laughed, "Are you telling me you figured this out when you were 4?"

"Don't get ahead of the story," Phoebe scolded, playfully. "You and I spent almost every waking moment together, while you were here. The night before you left I had a nightmare. I went looking for you, and I found you and da—uncle Grayson – arguing in the living room. You told him that you wanted to take me and raise me as your daughter, but he wouldn't let you. Elena didn't like you, and you couldn't separate us; and you couldn't take us both, because we had already become a part of his family; blah, blah, blah."

"He was right," said John.

"I know, but...," Phoebe began. She hopped off her stool, walked around the island, and wrapped her arms around her father. "I wish I could've been raise as your daughter. No disrespect to Uncle Grayson and Aunt Miranda."

John smiled, as he hugged her back.

The next morning, Phoebe got up bright and early to meet Caroline at school, so they could get to work on their float. Jeremy went with her to work on his own float. Later, when Elena was on her way out the door, she ran into Bonnie. Bonnie apologizes to her friend for her behavior, and the two make up. Elena catches her up on what's been going on with the device and Isobel, then the two look through Emily's spell book to see if there's anything in there about the device. They find that it's part of a larger device – as Phoebe had originally theorized – and that it's a weapon of some kind. A weapon against vampires.

After Bonnie and Elena make it to school, they separate to find Stefan and Phoebe so they can tell them what they've learned. On her way to find Stefan, Elena is stopped by her brother, asking if she's seen Anna. Surprised, she remarks that she didn't know they were still friends. Jeremy tells her they're more than friends. Elena replies that she doesn't know where Anna is. Jeremy asks her if she's lying, because she lies to him all the time. Elena doesn't understand what he's talking about, until he tells her that he knows what Anna is, and he knows that she knows. Elena tries to talk to him about it, but Jeremy walks away from her.

Elsewhere, Phoebe works on her float with Matt and Caroline. When she steps away to get a full view of the float and compare it to her sketches, Isobel pops up.

"Hello, Phoebe," Isobel greeted.

Phoebe didn't stop was she was doing, "Isobel."

"I got what you asked for," said Isobel, calmly. "Where's the device?"

Now Phoebe looked at her, "I don't have it, yet."

"Why not?" Isobel questioned.

"Damon's like a painting, you have to work on him in layers. If you try to do everything at once, it isn't going to work. But if you do a layer, then let it dry before doing the next, you'll get the result you want," Phoebe answered.

Isobel smiled, impressed, "That was an impressive analogy. Unfortunately, I don't have time to wait for a masterpiece. So we're just going to push things along, and get me what I want by tonight."

"By tonight?" Phoebe questioned. "There is no way Damon is gonna give me that device by tonight."

"I think you underestimate how much Damon cares for you," said Isobel. "I'm he'd be more than willing to give you that device, if he thought it would stop me from hurting the people you care about."

Phoebe began to look alarmed.

"Don't worry, I haven't decided, yet," said Isobel. "Frank won't do anything, until I tell him to."

"Who's Frank?" Phoebe asked.

Isobel pointed to a man walking near their float, "See that man standing next to Matt by the float? That's Frank. He's very handsome."

"Looks gay to me," Phoebe mumbled.

Isobel ignored her comment, and continued, "Frank's very handy. And he noticed that the axle was kind of rusted, which is very dangerous. So all you have to do is apply a little bit of pressure, and..."

"Stop it," Phoebe snapped. Matt was lying halfway underneath the float's trailer, like a mechanic under a car. If that thing collapsed now, Matt would be crushed.

"I tell you what, I'll give you exactly 15 seconds to save your friend, and then Frank is going to squash him like a bug," said Isobel. She looked at her watch, "Starting...now."

Phoebe didn't hesitate. She ran over to Matt, dropping her sketches as she did. Since she hadn't been standing that far away, distance wasn't an issue. Getting him to crawl out from underneath the trailer was. When Phoebe reached her friend, she grabbed him by the leg and tried pulling him out, but she wasn't strong enough. Matt questioned what she was doing, but she didn't waste time explaining. She dropped to her knees and reached under the trailer, grabbed him by the shirt, and pulled him upright – which was something he had already begun to do on his own.

Matt was now sitting up, out from underneath from the trailer – except for him arm. He sat there questioning Phoebe's actions, but she still didn't answer. Phoebe heard Isobel call out something in French, then saw Frank begin moving to hop onto the float. Phoebe stuck her hand under the trailer, grabbed Matt's hand, and yanked it out just in time.

As the float's trailer crashed to the ground, Matt grabbed Phoebe and lunged away from the sound. The two were now on their sides – facing on another – lifting their heads up to see what had happened. Phoebe gave a sigh of relief and rolled onto her back, as everyone began to crowd around them. Caroline practically smothered Matt in her relief that he wasn't hurt. She'd even bothered to ask Phoebe if she was okay. Phoebe only gave a thumbs up in response.

After the excitement died down a bit, Phoebe hopped in the car, and headed for the Salvatore house. When she arrived, she walked inside – like she owned the place – and up the stairs to Damon's room. There she began riffling through his drawers, looking for the device.

"What are you doing?" Damon asked her, appearing in the doorway.

"Where is it?" she replied, still throwing clothes out of his drawers.

"Where's what?" he asked.

"The stupid invention," she snapped. "Where is it?"

Damon walked over to her, and stopped her from throwing anymore of his clothes, "What happened?"

Phoebe took a deep breath, "Isobel just tried to kill Matt."

"What?"

"She gave me exactly 15 seconds to pull him out from under a float trailer, before one of her goons crushed him with it," Phoebe continued.

"Is he okay? Are you okay?" Damon asked, beginning to look her over for injuries.

"I'm fine, Damon. So is Matt, for now," Phoebe answered. "But if I don't give her that stupid invention she's just gonna try again. And next time she might not give me the chance to save him."

Phoebe's phone rang. It was Elena. She gave a sigh as she answered, "What?"

"Are you with Damon?" Elena asked.

"Yeah, why?" Phoebe answered.

"We found out what the device is," said Elena. Damon and Phoebe both perked up. "It's part of a larger device that's meant to be used against vampires. According to Emily's spell book, Johnathan Gilbert's inventions never worked, so she infused all of his inventions with magic."

"Then all we need to do have them de-spelled," said Phoebe.

"That's what we were thinking. Bonnie's agreed to de-spell the device, we just need you to get it from Damon," said Elena. Phoebe looked at Damon, who began shaking his head, adamantly.

"I'm on it," said Phoebe, before ending the call.

"Absolutely not," said Damon.

"It'll be useless once Bonnie takes the magic out of it," Phoebe argued.

"I am _not_ giving the device to Isobel, just so she can give it to John, who's gonna turn around and kill me," said Damon.

"No, he won't," said Phoebe.

"Of course he will, the man hates me," Damon argued.

"He just doesn't like you liking me," said Phoebe.

"A little strange, don't ya think? An _uncle_ being so protective of his _niece_?" Damon questioned.

"I know what you're implying, but I'm already ahead of you on that one," said Phoebe. "My _dad_ and I already had that conversation last night. Now stop deflecting."

"Phoebe, I like being a living-dead person," Damon told her. "I don't trust Bonnie to de-spell the device, because I tried to kill her in the past."

"Damon, Isobel tried to kill my best friend just to further motivate _you_ to give me that thing. If she finds out that almost killing someone I care about wasn't motivation enough, she's going to actually kill someone that I care about," Phoebe replied. "Please, Damon."

Damon stared into her eyes for a moment, before sighing, "I don't have it."

Phoebe blinked, "Come again?"

"I put it somewhere I knew it'd be safe," Damon explained.

"Where?"

"I hid it somewhere in your house," said Damon.

Phoebe furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, "Where?"

Damon just gestured for her to follow him, and she did. He took her home, and up to her room.

"You hid it in my room?" Phoebe questioned.

"Yup," Damon replied.

"Where?"

Damon picked up the stuffed pig that was on her bed, and held it up.

Phoebe's face became sad, and somewhat horrified, "Marvin?! You violated Marvin?!"

"You named your pig Marvin?" Damon asked.

Phoebe snatched Marvin out of Damon's hands, and hugged him, "Fiend."

Damon stood there in confusion for a moment, before following Phoebe down to the car with Marvin. When they got back to the Boarding House, they found Bonnie and their siblings already there waiting for them.

"Where did you guys go?" Stefan asked. He became a little confused, as he watched Phoebe walk past him holding a stuffed pig.

"We had to go get the device," Damon answered.

"Where is it?" Elena asked.

Phoebe pointed an accusing finger at Damon, "He hid it inside of Marvin."

Bonnie and Elena both looked at Damon, jaws dropped.

"Real nice, Damon," said Bonnie.

Phoebe walked into the library, with Marvin and Bonnie.

"What is the deal with the pig?" Damon asked. He was really confused. Stefan shrugged, and shook his head.

"Marvin's just her favorite thing," Elena explained. "Holding him calms her down when she's mad, comforts her when she's sad, and makes her feel safe when she has nightmares – which she has a lot of."

"I didn't know," said Damon, apologetically.

Elena shrugged, "You don't get to be a genius without a few quirks."

In the library, Bonnie got set up for the de-spelling, while Phoebe cut Marvin open and removed the device. Phoebe then took out a travel sewing kit from her bag, and sewed him up, while Bonnie performed the de-spelling. Once that was done, Elena took Bonnie home, while the brothers escorted Phoebe to her meeting with Isobel.

The two met in the town square, along with their backups. They faced one another, with their respective backups behind them.

"You have the invention?" Isobel asked.

Phoebe showed her the device, and Isobel extended a hand, palm up. Hidden between Isobel's fingers was a USB flash drive. Phoebe slapped the device down onto her palm, so she could slide her fingers back and grab the USB, without it being too obvious. It worked. Phoebe nodded, and turned to walk away.

Before Phoebe could get very far, Isobel stopped her, "He's in love with you, you know."

Phoebe's heart skipped a beat, and she had to hide a smile, as she looked at Damon. Damon did the same.

"That's not a good thing, Phoebe. As long as you and your sister have a Salvatore on your arms, you're both doomed. Katherine was smart. She got out," Isobel added.

"Katherine was a moron," Phoebe snapped. Her smile had vanished, and she turned back to face her mother. "Katherine used those boys like dolls, and then tossed them aside, like garbage. They died trying to save her pathetic butt, and she couldn't even give them the courtesy of telling them that she didn't want them anymore."

Isobel remained silent, and the brothers both raised their eyebrows, as Phoebe continued.

"But you know what, that's okay. Because what she did to them – what she put them through – made them the men they are today. Albeit they're a little damaged in their own ways, but then again who isn't? Stefan and Damon Salvatore are two of the most caring, gentlemanly, resourceful, brave, loyal, an-and sexy people I've ever met. Katherine doesn't deserve them. And when you're done telling her I said all of that, you can tell her I said this, too," Phoebe finished by blowing a raspberry with her tongue, and then walked away.

The brothers shared a look, before Stefan followed her. Before following himself, Damon told Isobel, "You don't get to be a genius without a few quirks."

The brothers made sure Phoebe got home safe, before returning home themselves. Phoebe made herself a TV dinner, then took it upstairs to her room. It seemed that her door had just closed, when there was a knock on it. While she had been talking to Isobel in the square, Elena had tried talking to their brother. He told her that it was Phoebe that came clean about all the supernatural happenings in their town, not Anna – like Elena had been assuming. Now Elena wanted to know why.

"Come in," Phoebe mumbled, kicking off her chucks.

Elena came in, closing the door behind her, "What did you say to Jeremy?"

"You'll have to be a little bit more specific," said Phoebe through a mouthful of hot food. She was trying to breathe through her mouth to cool off the food enough to swallow.

"Well before he kicked me out of his room, he said you told him everything," said Elena. "About vampires, about Vicki, about Damon compelling him to forget."

"Oh, that," Phoebe mumbled. She put her food down on the table next to her laptop, and walked over to her dresser, "Yeah, I told him."

"Why would you do that?" Elena questioned. She was growing annoyed by her sister's nonchalant attitude.

"Because he was asking questions about her death. Questions no else thought to ask," Phoebe answered. She changed out of her jeans and into a pair of sleeps shorts with garden gnomes on them.

"So?"

"So if he was smart enough to ask how she ended up buried, after dying of a supposed overdose, he'd have no problems figuring everything else out," said Phoebe, walking across the room to her closet. "Especially since he already knew that Anna was a vampire at that point."

Elena was surprised, "How-How did he know that?"

Phoebe changed into a three quarter-sleeved, Hogwarts Alumni, v-neck shirt, "He saw her face change at Duke's party."

"But he told me he couldn't remember anything that happened," Elena argued.

Phoebe took off her bra and her socks, and tossed them into her close hamper, "That's what he told me. Now that along with every other suspicious thing he'd observed, got him googling vampires."

"Yeah, but when you google vampires, you get a world of fiction," said Elena.

"Not everything on the internet is untrue, Elena," Phoebe countered. She closed her closet door, and began pulling her hair up into a messy bun on the top of her head. "He got enough information to test his theory on Anna. He 'accidentally' cut his hand open right in front of her, and saw her face change."

Elena's jaw dropped, and was at a loss for words.

"Not everyone is as content as you are to live in a bubble of naivety," said Phoebe. "I don't mean any offense by that, Matt's the same way. It's just...Jeremy and I aren't. We ask questions, and want truthful answers. We read between the lines, and see things that most people ignore."

Elena stood there silently, as she watched her sister collect her laptop, food, Marvin, and a USB. After grabbing all of these things, Phoebe headed downstairs, and onto the front porch. While she eats her dinner, and goes through the files on the flash drive, Isobel pays Rick a visit at the high school.

They argue about whether or not Isobel still cares about him – which Rick believes she still does. To prove it he removes his ring and vervain, and tosses them aside. Isobel explains to Rick that being a vampire is something that she wanted, but also something she will regret forever. She made a mistake leaving him, and when she thinks about everything she gave up, it hurts. She then compels him to forget their current encounter, and for his heart to be free of her. Isobel returns his ring to his finger, and flits away.

Back at the Gilbert house, Anna finally returns to Jeremy. She tells him that her mother was killed, and that's why she didn't answer, or return, his calls. Jeremy holds her, and she cries in his arms. Downstairs, John receives a call from Isobel, telling him she's left the device at his brother's old office. She also wants him to kill Stefan and Damon, along with all of the tomb vampires.

"Elena's already in love with Stefan, and Phoebe's falling for Damon," said Isobel. "They're our daughters, John. I don't want this life for them."

John stared out the window at his daughter on the porch, "I know."

As the next few hours went by, Phoebe searched through the files Isobel gave her, with a fine-toothed comb. When she got tired, she made herself some coffee, and kept searching. Eventually, she found her answer...no one in Isobel's family had ever had the same condition. Phoebe stood up from the bench swing she had been sitting on for the past several hours, coffee mug still in hand. She began to pace the porch, muttering to herself. Eventually she stepped down off of the porch, looking out towards the street, and began walking. As she did, the coffee mug slowly fell, spilling coffee on the ground before falling itself.

Meanwhile at the Boarding house, Stefan joined his brother in the library to have a little chat.

Damon didn't even have to look at his brother to know there was something he wanted to say, "Get it out, Stefan. Purge."

"I know you and Phoebe have bonded. And I know she cares about you. And, uh, I know you care about her," Stefan began.

Damon turned around to face his brother, with a grin on his face, "Well, this is going in an interesting direction."

"Elena and I don't want Phoebe to get hurt," said Stefan.

"Neither do I. Phoebe's a very good friend. Actually, she might qualify as my only friend," said Damon. "Is that a problem?"

"She's not Katherine, Damon. You can't just use her to play pretend, and then leave once you get bored," said Stefan.

Damon became irritated, "I'm not playing pretend, Stefan, I know she's not Katherine. That's what I like about her."

Stefan's phone began to ring, before either one could say anything more. It was Elena, and she sounded quite distressed.

"Stefan, have you seen Phoebe? Is she there?" Elena asked. Stefan looked to Damon, who just shook his head.

"She's not here," Stefan answered. "Is everything okay?"

"I don't know. When I got up I saw that her door was still open, and she wasn't in bed. I went downstairs to look for her, but she wasn't there. When I looked outside I found her laptop still sitting there, and a coffee mug in the front yard," Elena explained.

"Have you tried calling her? Or Matt? Maybe she went over to Matt's," Stefan suggested.

"I called Matt, she isn't there. And she left her phone here," Elena replied. "Stefan, all of the cars are here, too, so she didn't drive anywhere. I don't understand, she never leaves without leaving a note for us."

"We're on our way," Stefan told her, and hung up the phone.

By the time the brothers arrived at the Gilbert house, Elena had already woken the whole house, and told them about Phoebe. Rick, Matt, Caroline, and Bonnie had also shown up to help with a search. Those four combined with the Salvatore brothers, Jenna, John, and Jeremy amounted to the same number as Sheriff Forbes' deputy staff. Because of this – and the fact that it was a small town – it was decided they would look for Phoebe themselves, rather than call the sheriff.

Jeremy volunteered to stay home incase Phoebe returned, so he could stay with Anna. The rest split up in pairs: Matt and Caroline took Matt's truck, Rick and Jenna took Rick's car, Stefan and Elena took Stefan's car, John and Damon took John's car, and Bonnie went to Matt's in case Phoebe showed up there.

While they drove around, John kept the windows down and the air off, so Damon could listen for Phoebe. After a while, John asked him, "You really care about her, don't you?"

"If it alright with you, John, I'd prefer to skip the whole getting to know your daughter's possible suitor chat," Damon replied, without even looking at him.

"The fact that my daughter is falling head over heels for you is exactly why I wanna have this talk, Damon," said John. "I wanna know what she sees in you."

"Well, if I ever find that out, I'll be sure to let you know," replied Damon.

John twitched a small smirk, before something in the road caught his eye. He pulled the car over, and got out to see what it was.

"What is it?" Damon asked, following him.

John picked up the stuffed pig that was in the middle of the road, and handed it to Damon, "It's Marvin."

"She must be close," Damon remarked, looking around.

"Try listening," said John.

Damon closed his eyes and focused all of his attention on his hearing. There was a sound of squeaking metal coming from not too far away, which he told John about.

"The park," John said. "Phoebe loves to swing. You go, I'll take the car and meet you there."

Damon nodded and flitted towards the sound. Much to his relief, Phoebe was there, sitting on a swing. He gave a sigh of relief, and joined her at the swings. As he approached her he noticed that she was staring off into space, as though in a daze.

"Phoebe?" said Damon, questioningly.

She didn't respond. Damon waved his hand back and forth in front of her face to get her attention, but it had no effect.

"Damon!" called John, jogging over from the parking lot. When he got closer, he saw her dazed demeanor. "What's wrong with her?"

"I don't know," Damon answered.

Both men knelt in front of her, trying their best to get her attention, but nothing worked. Damon stood up and tried to think of what to do. He saw Marvin sitting there, and remembered what Elena had said:

" _Marvin's just her favorite thing," Elena explained. "Holding him calms her down when she's mad, comforts her when she's sad, and makes her feel safe when she has nightmares – which she has a lot of."_

Damon grabbed Marvin and knelt back down in front of Phoebe, "Phoebe? Look who's here. It's Marvin. Oink, oink."

Phoebe looked at Marvin, and smiled. As she reached out to take Marvin, she told Damon, "Marvin doesn't 'oink'. He's too sophisticated."

Damon and John smiled.

"Of course he is," said Damon.

"Phoebe, what are you doing out here this time of night?" John asked.

Phoebe's smiled vanished, and she stared back into space, "I'm not sure. I was pacing the porch, thinking, and then..."

The two men waited for her to finish her thought, but she didn't.

"What were you thinking about?" Damon asked.

"I was trying to understand," said Phoebe. "It didn't make sense."

"What didn't make sense?" John asked.

"None of them had it. None of them," Phoebe answered.

John's body language told Damon he knew what she was talking about, so he asked him, "What's she talking about, John?"

"Her condition. No one in my family has ever had Cystic Fibrosis, so she was hoping someone in her mother's family had it," John answered.

"Cystic Fibrosis? What's that?" Damon asked.

"She didn't tell you she had it?" John asked. Damon shook his head. "It's a rare hereditary disorder that damages the lungs and digestive system. It's treatable, and as long as she takes her medicine she'll be fine."

Damon looked over at Phoebe's wrist, and for the first time, noticed her bracelet. Then he realized, "You said her condition's hereditary. If she didn't get it from your family, and she didn't get it from Isobel's, then how the hell did she get it?"

"I have no idea. I just always assumed she got it from Isobel's family," said John.

"Okay, so what has her like this? What sent her into this catatonic state?" Damon questioned.

"You haven't spent much time with people of genius intellect, have you?" John asked, somewhat rhetorically. Damon gave him a look, so he explained. "People like Phoebe thrive on logic. And when something doesn't make sense to them, it bothers them. They get tunnel vision and obsess over it, until they find a solution. In this case, I don't think she knows where to look for the answer, so she's just...shut down."

"Well, how do we get her out of it?" Damon asked.

"I don't know," John answered.

Damon thought for a moment, then offered, "I can compel her not to obsess over it."

"Absolutely not," said John. "You're not gonna compel her to do anything."

"I've compelled her before, John," said Damon. John looked upset at that. "Once. And she asked me to do it."

"You want a love that consumes you. You want passion and adventure, and even a little danger," Phoebe began. She sounded like she was half asleep. Damon's eyes widened in shock, as she spoke. "I want you to get everything you're looking for. But for now, I want you to forget that this happened."

John looked at Damon, who was visibly uncomfortable, "What's she talking about?"

"That's not possible," said Damon, staring at Phoebe. "How do you remember that?"

"Because I want to," said Phoebe.

Damon stood up, as did John.

"What is she talking about, Damon?" John asked.

"The first time I met Phoebe was nine months ago, before her par—your brother and his wife died," Damon began. "She was at a party with all the other high school kids. When she walked away from the party, she found me lying in the middle of the road. We talked for a little bit, but I compelled her to forget about it."

John put aside his anger that he had used compulsion on his daughter, and asked, "Then how does she remember it?"

"I have no idea," Damon snapped, freaked out by what was going on. "When I compelled her to forget about Vicki Donovan's death – like she asked me to – it worked. I don't understand how one compulsion worked but not the other."

"Maybe you didn't do it right," John mused.

"I did it right," Damon snapped.

John thought for a moment, then offered, "Maybe she's too smart."

"What?" Damon asked.

"Studies in mind control show that those unwilling to relinquish control of their minds, and with strong enough minds to resist, can't be controlled," John explained. "Phoebe has an IQ of 167. Maybe she can't be compelled, unless she wants to be."

Damon thought about it, as he looked at Phoebe on the swing, holding Marvin.

"You heard what she said, she said she wanted to remember what you told her to forget," John pushed. "And with the Donovan girl, she wanted to forget about it, so she let you make her forget."

Damon caught a shiver, and shook it off, "This is just spooky."

Damon knelt back down, and removed Phoebe's necklace.

"Whoa, what are you doing?" John asked.

"I'm going to ask her if she wants me to compel her not to obsess over this," Damon answered. He looked Phoebe in the eye and made his offer. She accepted. "Phoebe, I know this is hard for you to wrap your head around, but you will find your answer one day. And as long as you believe that, you'll be okay. Don't let this cripple you, Phoebe. Search for an answer, but don't stop living your life."

Damon broke the compulsion, and returned her necklace. It worked. Phoebe snapped out of her daze, and became aware again.

"Oh, no," she groaned, looking at Damon. She buried her hands in her face in embarrassment. "You're totally freaked out by me now, aren't you?"

Damon reached up and pulled her hands away from her face. He looked her in the eye, as he told her, "Of course I'm freaked out by you, Phoebe, who wouldn't be? You're strange, and quirky, and sassy, and whole bunch of other things. But you know what?"

"You need to seriously rethink your pep talking skills?" Phoebe replied.

"I'm still here," he told her. "And I'm not going anywhere."

Phoebe smiled, "I have no idea why."

Damon shrugged, as he stood up, and extended a hand towards her, "Let's get you home."

Phoebe took his hand and got to her feet, but quickly fell back down into the seat, "Ow!"

"What is it?" John asked, moving closer.

"I think I might have a few splinters...maybe glass ones," Phoebe replied.

Damon bent down and picked her up bridal-style, "Always an excuse to have me carry you."

Phoebe giggled, and he carried her to the car. John stood there for a moment, thinking. Were Damon not a vampire, he might actually approve of him being with Phoebe. It was obvious how much he cared about her, and he was very good with her. He handled her crazy, and her quirky. And even when he was freaked out by her, he never abandoned her.

Once in the car, John and Damon began calling everyone to tell them they had found her. They also set up the cover story that Phoebe had fallen asleep on the porch, and wound up sleepwalking over to the park. When they got to the house, Damon carried her inside, and set her on the couch. Everyone let her know how worried they had been, and how happy they were that she was okay. John later noted that Damon hadn't left, and was the one taking care of her splintered feet. Damon really cared for Phoebe, there was no denying that. The problem for John was what to do about it. Should he do what Isobel requested, and kill him and his brother? Or should he let them live?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter left for season 1, guys! Who will die? Who will live? What will John decide to do? How will Katherine react to what Phoebe said about her? How will Katherine react to Phoebe in general? Who's ready for Phoebe and Damon's first kiss? Let me know what you guys think in a review. And don't forget to vote on which Original brother (Klaus or Elijah or both) Phoebe should catch the eye of. I can't seem to get the poll to work, so just leave it in a review. So far I've got a lot of votes for Elijah, and one for Klaus/both. Thank you guys so much for all your support, please keep it up!


	22. Founders' Day

Chapter 22: Founders' Day

It's been several days since Isobel came to town, and Phoebe had her mental breakdown. Phoebe, Damon, and John had stuck to the story that Phoebe had just been sleepwalking that night, because Phoebe was embarrassed enough as it was. Phoebe – in that time – had also taken Caroline to see Agnes and Zoie, so they could get her measurements. Phoebe had to call ahead to let them know that they couldn't talk about anything supernatural, because Caroline didn't know anything about it. She also had to ask them not to do anything to Caroline, because even though she was the ass-kisser she wanted to beat in the beauty pageant, they were on relatively good terms right now.

The days leading up to the Founders' Day Parade seemed to fly by for the small town. Before any of them knew it, they were waking up on Founders' Day morning, and getting ready for the parade. At the Salvatore house, Damon put on an old outfit of his from 1864 that he had pulled out of the attic a few days ago. While at the Gilbert house, Jenna and Elena helped Phoebe and Caroline put on their dresses.

"This dress hurts," Phoebe whined.

"Suck it up, baby," Jenna told her, finishing the last of the laces. It was a traditional 1860s, off the shoulder gown. It was mustard yellow, with butterflies on it, and a pistachio green overskirt. "There. All done."

Phoebe looked at her aunt's reflection in her full length mirror, and pouted.

"Don't look at me, these dresses were your idea," said Jenna.

"I know," Phoebe mumbled.

"Just look at the bright side. In a few hours, you can change into something more comfortable," Jenna told her, walking out of the room.

Phoebe walked over to her bed, picked up her contacts, then returned to her mirror to put them in.

"Wow," said John, entering the room. "You look..."

"Ridiculous?" Phoebe guessed, with a sigh.

"Beautiful," John corrected.

Phoebe smiled, "Thanks."

"So, what made you decide to dress like this for the Miss Mystic Float?" John asked, sitting on her bed.

"Curiosity," Phoebe replied. "Damon was human in 1864, so I thought it might be interesting to dress up. I don't really know how to explain it, I'm bad with words. You know that."

John nodded thoughtfully, "You really like him, don't you?"

Phoebe looked at her father, "I know you don't like him, for several reasons, not the least of which his interest in me. But I know he'd never hurt me. I know that makes me sound like every other love struck teenager, but you know me better than that. Before I even knew what he was I knew he'd never hurt me. I can feel it in my gut."

"Isobel called me when she left town. She wanted me to make sure that both Damon and Stefan were killed along with the tomb vampires," said John.

"Why are you telling me?" Phoebe questioned.

John got to his feet, and looked her in the eye, "Because as much as I would like to kill them both, they make you and your sister happy. And I want you to be happy, Phoebe. More than anything."

Phoebe read between the lines, and began to smile, "Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

John nodded, "Yes."

Phoebe geared up for a girly squeal, like the one she had let out when she saw her pageant dress, but stopped when John held up a finger to silence her.

"But, if either of them, at any time, ever hurts either of you, I will drive a stake through their hearts myself," said John.

Phoebe held back the girly squeal, but still threw her arms around her father, "Thank you!"

John hugged her back, briefly, then pulled her back to tell her something else, "There's more. The vampires from the tomb are going to attack the Founding families tonight, when the fireworks start."

Phoebe became just as serious as he was, "How do you know that?"

"I have a source," John answered, vaguely. "Don't worry about that. We're going to use the Gilbert device to incapacitate them."

"Incapacitate them?"

"The device emits a high frequency sound that only vampires can hear. Anyone who's affected will be injected with vervain, and then taken away," John explained. "The device will only work once for a duration of five minutes. In that time, you'll have to make sure that Stefan and Damon are not found. If they're taken, I won't be able to do anything to help them."

Phoebe nodded in response. She thought about telling him that the device work anymore, but decided to discuss it with her sister and the brothers first.

Meanwhile in Jeremy's room, Anna helps Jeremy get dressed up for his float. Jeremy apologizes to her for his uncle killing her mother, and tries explaining that he just doesn't know any better. Anna tells him that she can't stay there anymore, and wants to leave town. She offers to make him a vampire and take him with her, but Jeremy doesn't want that anymore. When he turns his back, Anna vanishes.

Later at the high school, Stefan and Damon wait for Phoebe and Elena to arrive.

"Look at you, all retro," Stefan commented.

"What do you want, Stefan?" replied Damon.

"I just thought this might be a good time to finish our conversation about Phoebe not being Katherine," said Stefan. "I mean, since we were interrupted last time."

Damon didn't want to have this conversation again, so he did what usually did: he deflected, "So has Phoebe told Elena about John, yet?"

"What about John?" asked Stefan.

"About him being their biological father," said Damon.

"What makes her think -," Stefan began.

"Isobel spent a lot of time here when she was younger, she and John dated, it was John's brother that delivered Phoebe and Elena, it was John's brother that adopted the twins...I could go on, but I think you get the picture," said Damon. "Not to mention the most solid bit of evidence."

Stefan waited for his brother to continue.

"Phoebe asked him," said Damon.

"And he said yes," Stefan guessed.

Damon nodded, "Apparently, Phoebe overheard John and his brother arguing about it when they were four. But, hey, I know how you deal with these big bombshells, so have at it."

Before Stefan could respond, Phoebe's voice was heard in the distance, "If I ever have an idea this stupid again, you have my permission to do whatever is necessary to knock some sense into me."

Jeremy laughed, "Noted."

Damon stared at Phoebe, stunned, as she parted company with her brother and continued on towards him. As Phoebe got closer, she looked Damon up and down.

"Wow. You could almost pass for a gentleman," Phoebe teased. Stefan laughed.

Damon rolled his eyes, "Why don't you just get Marvin to escort you, then?"

"Well, Marvin does look quite handsome in a suit," Phoebe replied, as though actually considering it.

Damon gave her a look that said, "Really?"

Stefan continued to laugh.

"But the dry cleaners messed up his suit last time, and I haven't had the chance to replace it, so I guess you'll just have to do," Phoebe went on. It was hard to tell she was even joking, because she seemed so serious.

Stefan snickered, and received an elbow in the ribs. Stefan cleared his throat, "Where's Elena?"

Phoebe pointed her out in the distance, "Over there."

Stefan nodded a 'thank you' and headed over to her.

Phoebe looked Damon over again, then noted, "Your hair used to be longer."

Damon made a funny face, "How would you know?"

"I found an old photo of you in your attic," Phoebe admitted. "That's where I got the idea to dress up like this for our float."

Damon smirked.

Phoebe held up a finger, "Before you crack any wise about that, I have some news."

"Wise crack, Phoebe. It's called a wise crack," Damon told her.

Phoebe ignored him and went on, "My dad and I were talking this morning, and he's agreed not to kill you or Stefan, because of how happy you two make my sister and I...Wow, that just sounds weird when you say it out loud."

"So just like that, John decided he wasn't gonna kill us?" Damon questioned.

"Well, it wasn't just a random decision, he's been thinking on it for a while now," said Phoebe.

"And you don't find it the least been strange that he's decided to randomly let us live?" Damon pressed.

"Like I said, it wasn't random. And I know you don't trust him, but I do. He wouldn't tell me something like that, then turn around and do the opposite," said Phoebe. She took his hand in hers. "Trust me, Damon."

While the two of them talked about that, Stefan told Elena about John being her father, before Damon dropped it on her in some typically inappropriate way. After that bombshell, she caught sight of Jeremy, and took off to try talking to him again. As all the other times before, he blew her off.

Meanwhile, Damon and Phoebe pose for photos with Caroline and Matt. Caroline and Phoebe stood back to back, facing their escorts. Matt, Caroline, and Phoebe all smiled at the camera; but Damon smiled down at Phoebe, while Bonnie snapped the photo.

"I want one with Bonnie now," said Caroline.

Phoebe snapped a photo of Bonnie and Caroline together, before the two couples headed for their float. Damon fell behind to talk to Bonnie for a moment. Bonnie tried walking away from him, quickly, but he followed her.

"Hold up! I wanna say something to you," Damon called.

"Just leave me alone," Bonnie called back.

"Thank you!" said Damon. Bonnie stopped, and looked back at him. "The device that Emily spelled could have killed me. I don't take what you did lightly, so...thank you."

"I did it for Elena," Bonnie replied.

"I know that. But I'm still very grateful," said Damon. "And...I owe you. Enjoy the parade."

Bonnie said nothing, as she watched Damon head for the Miss Mystic Float.

While everyone got positioned on their respective floats, and waited for the parade to begin, John and the Mayor talk in private inside of Grayson Gilbert's old office. John tells Mayor Lockwood the plan for catching the tomb vampires, and how the device works. He tells him how they all want revenge on the Founding Families for what their ancestors did to them, back in 1864. The Mayor is hesitant to use their families as bait to catch these vampires, but relents in the end.

During the parade, the tomb vampires convene to go over their plan for killing the Founding Families at the festival. While they do, Anna shows up. She pretends to want revenge, too, in order to learn their plan, so she can warn the others.

After the parade, everyone wearing a costume was in a hurry to change. Damon finished before Phoebe, because is outfit had less layers and laces, so he waited in the hallway of the high school for her. Damon had put on his usual dark jeans and black button-up shirt, but Phoebe didn't wear anything remotely that normal. When Damon saw her exit the women's locker room in her more modern clothes she was wearing a black t-shirt with the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man on it, royal blue capri pajama bottoms that said 'Bad Wolf' down one leg, low-top converse all-star, and she'd traded in her contacts for her glasses.

"I like you better like this," Damon told her, as she approached him. "The period look...didn't suit you."

"Is that an insult?" Phoebe joked.

"Actually, Phoebe, it is a compliment. Of the highest order," Damon replied.

Phoebe smiled, "I admit, I was curious about what it would've been like if we had met when you were human. I mean, I've seen pictures of you from back then, but it's not the same as actually seeing you in your era. But the female clothing from that era sucks so bad."

Damon laughed.

"I'm sorry, but I'm a simple modern girl. The women in your day wore way too many layers, and had to tie way too many laces," said Phoebe.

"Phoebe, there is nothing simple about you. You are probably the most eccentric person I know," said Damon. Phoebe furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "You have a pig, named Marvin, that you talk about as though he were a real person. You say cracking wise instead of wisecrack. You never swear. Instead of putting on jeans, like a normal person, you put on pajama pants."

"They're capris, and they're comfy," Phoebe argued. "After wearing that dress all morning, you'd put on pajamas, too."

Damon stepped closer to her, and put his hands on her upper arms, "You're still very eccentric, Phoebe. But I love it."

Phoebe smiled, and Damon leaned forward to kiss her cheek. It was a slow, gentle kiss. When he pulled back, he stared into her eyes for a moment, as though asking permission, before slowly moving in to kiss her on the lips. It was just as light as the kiss on her cheek was. Damon began to pull back, but Phoebe got up on her tip-toes, and leaned into him for a deeper, fuller kiss. Damon grabbed her face, and Phoebe grabbed his shirt. A moment later they broke the kiss, and looked at one another, smiling.

"I don't believe that we can't fix this," came Elena's voice, from around the corner. Phoebe stepped away from Damon to peer around the corner, as her sister continued. "I lied. I was wrong. But you're my brother, Jer, and I love you. And I have to fix it. So, just tell me. What can I do?"

"You can go to hell, Elena," replied Jeremy, walking away from Elena. He was headed towards Phoebe and Damon.

Phoebe glanced back at Damon, "Could you give me a moment with my brother?"

"Sure. I'll, uh, meet you outside," said Damon, heading out.

When Jeremy got close enough, Phoebe grabbed him, and pulled him aside, "What is your problem?"

"You're kidding, right?" Jeremy responded.

"You're still angry with her, I get it. There's nothing wrong with that," said Phoebe. "But you do _not_ speak to her like that. If there's genuinely nothing she can do to make it up to you, then say so. If you just need time, then say so. But you do _not_ tell our sister to go to hell, Jeremy."

"She took my memories," Jeremy argued.

"No, Damon did," Phoebe corrected.

"Yeah, after she asked him to," said Jeremy.

"Wrong, again. He only did it, because _I_ told him to. If I had said no, he wouldn't have done it," replied Phoebe. "Look, I'm not telling you that you can't be mad at her. And I know how pushy she can be, and that it can get really annoying. But she's still our sister, and she doesn't deserve to have you speak to her like that. So give her the cold shoulder, the silent treatment, tell her to leave you alone, whatever you need to do; but watch your mouth, Jeremy."

Jeremy said nothing in response, as Phoebe left to rejoin Damon outside. Meanwhile at the Sheriff's Office, John and Mayor Lockwood fill Sheriff Forbes in on their plan for catching the tomb vampires that. Unfortunately, Liz doesn't react well. She refuses to use their families as bait. John tells her that they've already gone behind her back and gotten her deputies on board, because they knew she'd react like this. Liz still argues against it, so John asks the Mayor to give them a moment alone. When he does, John knocks Liz out, and cuffs her to a pipe.

For the rest of the afternoon, Phoebe and Damon walked around the festival together, having fun. They talked, played games, ate food, etc. After sundown, they were walking around, holding hands, when they ran into Anna.

"Anna," said Phoebe.

"You're still around?" Damon questioned. Phoebe hit him playfully.

"There's something you need to know," said Anna, getting to the point. "The vampires from the tomb are planning an attack tonight."

Phoebe stiffened, "Uh-oh."

Damon looked over at Phoebe, "Uh-oh? What uh-oh?"

Phoebe looked at Damon and Anna sheepishly, "My dad told me about it this morning."

"And you didn't think to tell anyone?" Damon questioned.

"He said it wasn't supposed to happen, until the fireworks tonight, so I didn't want to ruin everyone's day by making them freak out in anticipation of tonight, when there was nothing we could do," Phoebe defended. She knew Damon's next question, and answered it before he could ask. "And I didn't tell you guys after the parade, because we were having fun and it slipped my mind."

"It slipped your mind? How does something like that just slip your mind?" Damon questioned.

"You've obviously never been a teenage girl whose just had her first kiss," Phoebe retorted. Damon didn't argue. "Okay, Damon, you go tell Rick what's going on, and tell him to make sure Jenna's safe. Then find our siblings and tell them. Anna, you and me are gonna find Jeremy and Matt."

Damon told her to be careful, and headed off to find Rick. He finds Rick and Jenna not too far away, and takes Rick aside.

"You keep those nifty little vamp weapons in your car?" Damon asked him.

"Yeah. Why do you ask?" replied Rick.

"Because this square is crawling with tomb vampires, set on killing the Founding Families, once the fireworks start. I think we might need a stake or two," Damon explained.

Rick began looking around, "Where's Phoebe?"

"She and Ann are looking for Jeremy. You need to get those weapons, and make sure Jenna gets out of here," said Damon. He started walking away, as he finished, "I gotta find Stefan and Elena."

"Got it," said Rick. He walked back over to Jenna.

"Everything alright?" asked Jenna.

"Yeah, uh, Phoebe lost her glasses somewhere," Rick lied. "Do you know where she keeps her back up pair?"

"I'm on it. This isn't the first time she's lost her glasses," said Jenna. "She has a spare pair in her room. I'll run home and grab them real quick."

"Take your time," said Rick. Jenna gave him a funny look. "There's a lot of people out. Don't wanna hit anyone."

Jenna made a face of understanding, and headed for her car. Rick then headed for his to get some stakes. Damon finds Stefan and Elena walking nearby, and flags them down.

"Hey. Fifteen words or less – tomb vamps are here. Founding Families are the target," said Damon. "Get her out of here. Now."

"Wait, where's Phoebe?" Elena asked.

"She and Anna are taking care of Jeremy," Damon answered, walking away. "And Rick's got Jenna."

Meanwhile at the Grill, Mayor Lockwood does his best to get Tyler to go home, but he doesn't want to. Tyler picks a fight with his father, which Caroline and Matt have to break up. The Mayor begs his son to go home, and to take his friends with him. He can't explain, but he needs Tyler to go home. Tyler agrees, and the three head out, as Phoebe and Anna head in.

"Hey, where are you going?" Phoebe asked Matt, bumping into him on her way in. Anna stopped next to her.

"Tyler's house," Matt answered.

"Oh, so you two have made up, then?" Phoebe asked.

"Not really. The Mayor practically begged us to go home with Tyler for some reason," said Matt. "I'm not sure what's goin' on, but-"

"Have you seen Jeremy?" Anna asked, interrupting Matt.

"Uh, yeah. I think he's in the men's room," Matt answered. Anna headed that way, and Matt gave Phoebe a funny look. "Jeremy's girlfriend. He and Elena are kinda fighting right now, so Anna and I are trying to mediate a truce."

"Oh," said Matt. "Well, I should go."

"Yeah-Yeah, go make up with Tyler," said Phoebe, backing away, towards the bathrooms. "Call me later and tell me how it went."

Matt noted her behavior as odd, but shrugged it off as Phoebe being Phoebe, and left the Grill. Anna grabbed Jeremy on his way out of the men's room, and dragged him into the women's room. Phoebe followed them, and locked the door.

"What's going on?" Jeremy asked, somewhat concerned.

"Long story short, the tomb vampires are back, and they're planning to kill the Founding Families once the fireworks start," said Phoebe.

"What?" Jeremy questioned.

"That's why you need to get home," Anna added.

"I don't think there's time for that," said Phoebe, glancing at the clock on her phone. "Anna, do you hear the Mayor making his speech outside?"

Anna focused for a moment, then nodded.

Phoebe shook her head, "We don't have time to get him home. You're gonna have to stay here with him."

"What about you?" Jeremy asked. "You're a Gilbert. They want you dead, too."

Phoebe opened her mouth to answer her brother, but was cut off by Anna's agonizing screams. Anna clapped her hands over her ears, and sank to the ground, as she cried out. Jeremy held her, as she sank to the floor.

Outside, Stefan collapses the same way Anna did, while Elena holds him. A deputy heads their way with a stake, but Rick directs him to another direction, and helps Elena hide Stefan. Unfortunately, no one was around to help hide Damon. Damon collapsed just outside of Grayson Gilbert's old office, on his way to talk to John. A couple of deputies inject him with vervain, and take him down to the basement of the building. John doesn't notice, because he's busy watching the device.

Back in the Grill's bathroom, Phoebe realizes what's going on, "It can't be. Bonnie de-spelled it."

"What are you talking about?" Jeremy asked, over Anna's cries. "What's wrong with her?"

"It's the device. It's emitting a high-pitched noise that only vampires can hear," said Phoebe, looking at the door nervously.

"What do we do?" Jeremy asked her.

Phoebe knelt down beside Anna, and covered her mouth with her hand, "We have to keep her quiet. If they find her, they'll kill her. John said it should only last about five minutes."

Covering Anna's mouth didn't help much. She was still loud enough to be heard by anyone walking by the restrooms. Phoebe didn't know what to do; she was desperate for Anna to be quiet. Not just so Jeremy didn't have to lose Anna, but because she had no idea what was going on with Damon. Did he manage to hide himself? Did he collapse in front of someone who could have helped him hide, like Rick? Did a deputy vervain him and take him away? Did a deputy stake him?

As Phoebe thought about these things, something strange began to happen. Anna began to feel better and quiet down, while Phoebe's ears began to ring. Phoebe wasn't sure what was going on, but could guess well enough that she was somehow taking away Anna's pain. She maintained contact with Anna for as long as she could, fighting the painful ringing in her ears, but eventually had to let go to cover her own ears.

"What is it?" Jeremy asked.

"I-I don't know," said Phoebe. Anna began to gradually feel the pain in her ears again. "This five minutes is taking too long. Hold her hands down."

"What are you gonna do?" Jeremy asked, pulling Anna's hands away from her head. Phoebe didn't answer her brother. Instead she braced herself, and snapped Anna's neck.

"What are you doing?!" Jeremy questioned, shocked.

"She'll be fine, Jeremy. That'll keep her out long enough for the device to finish," Phoebe told him, getting to her feet. "Take her inside one of the stalls, and lock the door. Wait for her to wake up, and take her home."

Jeremy stood up to do what Phoebe told him, "Where are you going?"

"I've gotta find Damon," Phoebe answered, leaving the restroom.

Once outside of the Grill, Phoebe begins frantically searching for any sign of Damon. She runs all around the square looking for him, but he's nowhere to be found. While Phoebe searches for Damon, Tyler crashes his dad's car, after somehow hearing the same noise that all of the vampires are hearing.

After the Gilbert device finishes, John goes down to the basement where the deputies have taken all the vampires. He orders one of the deputies to pour on the gasoline, because the only thing keeping them down now is the vervain. Damon has begun to regain consciousness, but does his best not to draw attention to himself. Despite what Phoebe told him, he's convinced that John will take the chance to kill him; if he finds out he's down there. John still doesn't notice Damon, as he leads a trail of gas up the basement stairs, and lights a match.

Meanwhile outside, Phoebe decides to call Rick to ask him if Damon's with him.

"I haven't seen him since this all began," said Rick.

"Maybe he's with Stefan and Elena," Phoebe mused, hopefully. That hope was quickly burst, when Rick put her on speaker phone.

"He's not here, Phoebe," said Stefan.

Phoebe had to tell herself to breathe, before she had a panic attack.

"I don't understand. What happened?" Elena questioned.

"It was the Gilbert device," Phoebe answered.

"That doesn't make sense, how did he get it to work? Bonnie unspelled it," said Elena.

"Maybe she didn't," Rick mused.

"She did. We saw her do it," Elena argued.

"No, no, no, he's right. Think about it," Stefan began. "We asked Bonnie to deactivate a device that could protect people against vampires."

"So we could protect you," Elena noted.

"And Damon," Stefan added. Vampires."

While that set in with the others, Phoebe saw smoke coming from her Uncle Grayson's old building in the distance, and mumbled, "Damon."

Stefan, Elena, and Rick looked at the phone in confusion. They waited for her to explain, but she never did. Instead came the sound of Phoebe dropping her phone to the ground and running away.

"Phoebe?" Stefan asked. His only response was the sounds of people near her phone talking.

Meanwhile at the Sheriff's office, Carol Lockwood discovers Liz Forbes cuffed to a pipe in her office. She gets Liz her cuff keys, while she questions her about what's going on. She tells her that her husband was taken away with the other vampires, but he isn't a vampire himself. Outside, an ambulance arrives to take care of Tyler, after the car crash. They determine that Tyler is okay, but Caroline collapses, and falls unconscious.

In the basement of the Gilbert building, Damon has a brief chat with Mayor Lockwood. The Mayor asks Damon why he's down there, and Damon tells him he's a vampire. Damon tries asking the Mayor why he's there, too, but another vampire get a hold of him and snaps his neck. Meanwhile upstairs, Phoebe enters the building from the side door, looking for Damon.

She follows the smoke to the basement door and, without thinking, reaches out to open it. The heated knob burns her hand, and she recoils in pain. Thankfully, though, she managed to get the door unlatched, before her brain registered that her hand was being burned. Now all she had to do was grab the door itself and pull it open.

As Phoebe peered down the burning stairs, she struggled to breathe through all the smoke. She quickly left to retrieve a fire extinguisher, from somewhere else in the office. It didn't take her long. She'd known this office like the back of her hand, since she was a child. She returned to the basement door, fire extinguisher in hand, and prepared to go down. She pulled her shirt collar up over her nose, and began extinguishing the flames on the stairs, as she went down.

Once at the base of the stairs, Phoebe began calling out for Damon, in between coughs, "Damon!...Da...mon!"

"Phoebe?!" Damon called back, questioningly. "Phoebe, what are you-"

Damon was cut off by a burning beam falling down near him. Phoebe dropped the extinguisher, and ran to his side. She helped him sit up, since he was still a little drugged.

"Phoebe, your lungs," said Damon. "Get out of here."

"I'm not...leaving you," she wheezed, between coughs. Phoebe tried to help him to his feet, but she wasn't strong enough.

"Leave me," Damon ordered.

"...Never...," Phoebe wheezed. She readjusted her ponytail, and pulled her collar aside. "Drink."

"No," Damon refused.

"If...you...drink...you'll be...strong enough...to get us...out," Phoebe wheezed.

Damon still seemed against the idea, until he looked around at the other vampires in there. Some of them were regaining some of their strength. If he didn't feed on her, one of them would. More than that, with her weak lungs, she'd be dead soon if he didn't get her out of there. Damon looked at Phoebe's exposed neck, and his face changed. He then, reluctantly, bit down on her neck, and began to drink.

Meanwhile, Stefan, Elena, and Rick look all over for Phoebe. Elena calls her phone, while Stefan uses his vampire hearing to track it. They manage to find her phone, but not her.

"Where could she be?" Elena asked, growing very concerned.

"I don't know," replied Stefan, looking around.

Rick noticed the smoke emitting from the old Gilbert building, and pointed it out, "Guys."

Stefan and Elena looked over at the building, and Elena's heart skipped a beat.

"Oh, my god. Stefan, her lungs...if she's in there...," said Elena, running towards the building. Stefan and Rick followed closely behind.

Back in the basement, Damon got enough blood and stopped. As he did, he noticed Phoebe wasn't coughing or wheezing anymore. Damon pulled back to look at her, only to find she wasn't breathing at all.

Outside the Gilbert building, John argued with Elena, Rick, and Stefan about whether or not Phoebe was inside.

"I've been standing here the whole time," said John. "I'd know if Phoebe was in there, and she's not."

"Help me!" Damon cried, rounding the corner. He was holding Phoebe's lifeless body in his arms.

"Oh, my god," muttered Rick.

"What happened?!" John questioned, rushing to his daughter's side.

Everyone crowded around Damon and Phoebe to see what was wrong with her.

"She stopped breathing," Damon answered, putting her on the ground.

Elena's eyes began to water, as she knelt by her sister's side. She saw the bite on Phoebe's neck, "What happened to her neck?"

"She made me feed on her to get enough strength to get us both out," Damon answered. He saw the look on everyone's faces, and added, "She wouldn't leave without me. It was either me or one of the other guys, and they wouldn't have stopped."

John removed his jacket, and began angled Phoebe's head back, "Rick, call an ambulance."

"Right," said Rick. He took out his phone, and began dialing 911.

"Elena, get on the other side, and give her mouth to mouth when I say," John ordered. Elena pulled herself together enough to help her sister, and did what he said. John then looked to the brothers, "You two, pay attention. If you're gonna be a part of her life, you're gonna need to know what to do when she stops breathing."

Stefan and Damon stood back and watched, as John and Elena worked together to give Phoebe CPR. The ambulance arrived very quickly, but Phoebe still wasn't breathing. John and Elena stepped aside to let the medics take over, and they got her breathing again. Everyone sighed with relief.

One of the medics saw Phoebe's bracelet, "What's her condition?"

"Cystic Fibrosis," John answered.

"You her father?" the medic asked.

"Yes," answered John.

The medics loaded Phoebe into the ambulance, taking John with them, in case they needed more information about her medical history. Elena wanted to go too, but the medics wouldn't let her. If Phoebe stopped breathing again, they needed the room to resuscitate her. It was just as well, because Elena needed to find Jenna and Jeremy to tell them what happened. Rick took Elena home to see Jenna and find Jeremy, while Stefan took his brother to the hospital – he didn't want him to be alone.

When Stefan and Damon arrived in the hospital waiting area, they found Matt and Tyler there, too. Matt saw the dazed state that Damon was in, and knew almost immediately that something had happened to Phoebe.

"What happened to her?" Matt asked, scared of the answer.

Damon couldn't find the words to answer him, so Stefan had to, "Phoebe went into a burning building to save Damon. Because of her condition, she stopped breathing."

Matt looked as though he were about to break down crying, "Tell me she's not..."

"No, no, the medics got her breathing again," said Stefan. "John rode here with her, in ambulance."

Matt wiped away the tears from his face, "Thank God."

"What are you doing here?" Stefan asked.

"We got in a car accident. Caroline got hurt pretty bad," Matt answered. "Her mom's back there talkin' to the doctors now."

Liz came back into the waiting area, tears in her eyes.

"Liz, I just heard. I'm so sorry," said Damon, embracing his friend.

"Thank you, Damon," said Liz.

"What'd the doctor say?" Matt asked.

Liz pulled away from Damon, "Uh, there was some internal bleeding. They're taking her to surgery."

"What else did they say? Is she gonna be okay?" Matt questioned.

"They're gonna do everything they can," Liz told him.

Matt nodded, and sat back down.

"Tyler? Have you spoken to your mom?" Liz asked.

"I left her a message telling her I was here," Tyler answered.

"You need to call her," said Liz.

"What is it?" Tyler asked.

"It's your dad," said Liz.

Meanwhile, Elena finds out from Jenna that Jeremy is at home with Anna. She waits until she and Rick arrive at the Gilbert house to tell them both in person what's happened to Phoebe. After hearing the news, all five of them – including Anna – hop in the car and head for the hospital.

Back at the hospital, Phoebe's bite wound and burned hand have been bandaged, and they've set her up with a nebulizer. Phoebe's still unconscious, so John just sits there, holding her hand. In the waiting room, Stefan steps out to answer a call, while Damon asks when he'll be able to see Phoebe.

"She's still unconscious, so only family is allowed at this time," answered the nurse.

"I'm family," said Elena. "I'm her sister."

Damon eyes her suspiciously, as the nurse takes Elena back to see Phoebe.

"Was that Elena?" Matt asked, returning from the coffee machine.

"Yeah," answered Damon. He wasn't too sure, but it certainly looked like Elena.

Outside, on the phone, Stefan asks, "You guys on your way?"

"Yeah, we just left the house. We should be there soon," Elena answered. "How's Phoebe?"

"Damon's asking the nurse right now," said Stefan.

Meanwhile inside Phoebe's room, Elena closes the door behind her, startling John.

"Elena. Where's Jeremy and Jenna?" asked John.

"They're on their way," answered Elena, calmly. She eyed Phoebe in the bed, curiously.

John noticed, but took it as shock at seeing her sister in this state, "I know, it's hard seeing her like this."

Elena walked closer to John, not saying a word.

John looked at her curiously, "Elena?"

She smiled, "Guess again."

John was confused for a moment, before realizing, "Katherine."

Katherine hit him, sending him flying, then broke a leg off of the chair. She picked him up by the neck, "Hello, John. Goodbye John."

Katherine thrust the chair leg into his abdomen, and dropped him. John fell to the ground, unable to call for help. Katherine walked over to the still sleeping Phoebe, and loomed over her, "Hello, Phoebe. I got your message."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that's it for this season, guys! I hope you enjoyed it. Though, with all the positive feedback from the last chapter, I don't know if I'll ever be able to write a chapter better than that one. You guys all seemed to favor that one, which is great! I'm really glad you all like Phoebe – and Marvin – and that you're enjoying the story so far! It means a lot – as a writer – to have such positive reviews from you guys. As I said before, I will be taking about 2 or 3 weeks to get ahead on the next season, and then I'll be posting about once a week. Tell me what you guys think will happen in the next season. What do you hope to see in the next season? As for the Original brothers, most people say Elijah or both, so I guess I've got my answer there. Phoebe will make more friends in the future, so those of you wanting to see her get close to someone besides Matt, don't worry. On to season 2!


	23. The Return

Chapter 23: The Return

Earlier that night:

Phoebe shot upright, gasping in a large inhale of air. As she looked around her, she realized two things: she could breathe easier than she ever had, and she was no longer inside of her uncle's old building. She was in the middle of the Mystic Falls cemetery, just outside of the Salvatore crypt.

"What the...," Phoebe thought. Her thought was interrupted by the appearance of a strange woman.

"Hello, Phoebe," said the woman. She had long blonde hair, spoke with an English accent, and wore what looked like an old Viking gown.

Phoebe got to her feet, and eyed the woman suspiciously, "Who are you?"

"My name is Esther," said the woman.

"Congratulations. But that's not what I asked you," replied Phoebe. "I asked who you were, not what your name was."

"I'm afraid the answer is somewhat complicated. Too complicated to explain, right now," said Esther. "As we speak, your loved ones are trying to revive you."

"Revive me? Am I...am I dead?" Phoebe asked, nervously.

"Yes," Esther answered, simply.

Phoebe looked around at her surroundings, "Is this purgatory? Because this certainly isn't heaven, and it doesn't exactly look like hell."

Esther smiled, "No, this isn't purgatory. This is where supernatural beings go when they die."

"Well, this isn't depressing," Phoebe mumbled. "What do you want from me?"

"I want nothing from you. I simply wish to answer the question that's been plaguing your mind," said Esther. Phoebe arched an eyebrow. "You are not the doppelganger."

Phoebe looked at her with confusion, "If I'm not the doppelganger, then why am I here?"

"Because you are still supernatural," Esther answered. "Doppelgangers are Nature's way of maintaining balance. As such, Nature states that, should there be two of the same doppelganger born at the same time – in the form of twins, for example – then that would be a mistake. Nature would then try to correct the mistake by getting rid of one of the doppelgangers, as well as prevent it from carrying on the doppelganger line. As a result, the mystical properties found in doppelganger blood would present itself in a different way, making them something that is not a doppelganger, but still supernatural."

Phoebe momentarily saw her father hovering over her, performing compressions on her chest. She shrugged it off, and questioned, "How do you know all of this? Why should I believe you?"

"Because I made your existence possible," Esther answered, simply.

"What?" Phoebe asked. She got another flash of the real world. This time it was of Elena giving her mouth to mouth.

"I did it so he could not tell the difference," said Esther. "So he would not know which of you was the doppelganger, and which one of you was not."

"Who?" Phoebe asked, shrugging off another vision.

"I'm afraid we're out of time," said Esther.

"Wait!" Phoebe called, but it was too late. The medics had successfully revived Phoebe.

"How is she?" Jenna questioned, entering the waiting area. Rick, Elena, Stefan, Jeremy, and Anna were all with her.

"I don't know. They won't tell me, because I'm not...family," Damon replied. He noticed Elena with the group, and became confused. "Didn't you just go back there to sit with her and John?"

"How could I, I just got here," Elena replied.

"No, he's right. You just went back there a few minutes ago," Liz agreed.

Everyone looked around at one another, waiting for an explanation that didn't come. Instead, the Salvatore brothers shared a look of realization with Anna, and the trio ran for Phoebe's room, ignoring the protests of anyone trying to stop them. Liz, Jenna, Rick, Matt, Jeremy, and Elena all followed.

When they all arrived in Phoebe's room, they found the gruesome scene Katherine had left for them to find. John was on the floor, barely alive. Stefan and Rick tended to John, while Damon and Anna checked on Phoebe, and Liz went to find help. Phoebe was perfectly fine. In fact, she was still sound asleep.

A medical team took John away for surgery, and Phoebe was moved to another room. Everyone, except for Jenna, was ushered back to the waiting area, until Phoebe woke up. Everyone splits up to talk about different things, while they wait for news on the two girls and John. Bonnie finally arrives, after hearing the news of both Caroline and Phoebe.

"How's Caroline?" Bonnie asked Matt.

"She's not good, Bon," Matt replied.

"What happened?" she asked.

"We were drivin' and Tyler heard this noise and got - he got this migraine, or somethin', and...and he lost control of the car. I-I thought that Caroline was fine. And then-then s-she wasn't," Matt explained. "And if that weren't bad enough, Phoebe...Phoebe's not too good herself."

"What happened to her?" Bonnie asked.

"Damon said he got trapped inside her dad's old building after it caught fire, and she went in to save him. By the time he got her out, she...she wasn't breathin'," Matt answered.

Bonnie began to feel terrible. What was happening to Caroline and Phoebe was in part her fault.

"I'm gonna go get some air," said Matt, getting to his feet.

Meanwhile Liz asks Damon for his help.

"I need your help Damon," said Liz.

"Sure. Anything, Liz," Damon replied.

"Mayor Lockwood is dead," Liz told him. "They thought he was a vampire. They put him in the basement."

Damon feigned shock, "Mayor Lockwood was a vampire?"

"No, no, no, a mistake was made! They say he dropped like the others when John's device went off, but he couldn't have been a vampire. I've known the man my whole life. And Carol Lockwood is gonna want answers, and all I can think about right now is Caroline...and I'm...," Liz explained. She started crying again at the thought of Caroline. Damon held his friend, comfortingly as she did.

Meanwhile, Stefan and Elena discuss Katherine, and Caroline.

"Are you alright?" Stefan asked her.

"No, I'm not alright. I thought that with the tomb vampires gone, things would get better," Elena replied.

"I know. We all did," said Stefan.

"But instead we're all here waiting for news on Caroline and Phoebe. And John was just attacked by Katherine," Elena went on. She brushed her hair back nervously with her hands. "I don't know what to do, Stefan. I feel completely helpless."

Stefan put his arms around her, "I know. But they'll be okay. Phoebe and Caroline will both get through this."

"Maybe there's something Bonnie can do. Like a spell, or something," Elena suggested, pulling away from him.

"She can't. It took Emily years to learn how to do a spell like that," said Stefan.

Elena sighed, "There has to be something we can do."

"Maybe there is," said Stefan. "I can give her some of my blood."

"No. No way," Elena objected.

"Just enough to heal her. She'll be safe in the hospital, and it'll be out of her system in a day," Stefan pressed.

"It's too risky. I can't agree to that," Elena argued.

"Do it," said Bonnie, joining the conversation.

Elena gave her a look.

"This is Caroline, Elena. We can't let her die," said Bonnie.

Elena took a deep breath, and nodded.

Back in Phoebe's room, Phoebe began to wake up. She opened her eyes slowly, and looked around the room.

"Hey, kiddo," Jenna greeted her. "How ya doin'?"

Phoebe reached up, slid her mask down, and rasped, "What...happened?"

"Your dad's building caught fire. Damon said he got trapped inside, and you went in to save him," Jenna began. Phoebe nodded to let her know she remembered that much. "He said you'd stopped breathing by the time he got you outside."

Phoebe flashed back to Esther: _"This is where supernatural beings go when they die."_

"John and Elena gave you CPR, while Rick called for an ambulance," Jenna went on. "The paramedics got you breathing again, but you're just now waking up."

Phoebe remembered the flashes she saw of Elena and her father trying to revive her, while she spoke with Esther. Phoebe gestured that she needed something to write with, and Jenna gave it to her.

" _Can I see Damon, Stefan, Elena, and John?"_ she wrote.

Jenna assumed she wanted to see them, because she remembered going into the building after Damon, and then John and Elena giving her CPR; so she nodded in response and stood up to retrieve them. Once out in the waiting room, everyone swarmed around Jenna for information.

"She's awake. She can't really talk, and she needs to keep her mask on, so she has to write things down," Jenna explained. "She's asked to see Elena, Stefan, and Damon first."

Damon didn't hesitate. He brushed past everyone to see Phoebe. Stefan let Elena go before him, as they followed Damon back.

Jenna grabbed Elena's arm, as she passed, "She also asked to see John. I don't want her to know what happened just yet. She's been through enough, for now."

Elena and Stefan nodded, and continued back to see Phoebe. When they got to her room, Phoebe was sitting up hugging Damon. She then released Damon to hug her sister.

"Don't ever scare me like that, again," said Elena.

Phoebe released her sister, and scribbled down, _"Are Jeremy and Anna okay?"_

"They're fine. They're both out in the waiting room," Elena told her.

Phoebe seemed momentarily relieved, until she noticed that John wasn't with them. She scribbled down another question, _"Where's dad?"_

"He had to go. Something to do with the family building and the fire," Elena lied.

Phoebe narrowed her eyes skeptically at her sister, and then looked up to Damon for a more honest answer.

"Katherine impaled him with a chair leg," said Damon.

"Damon!" Elena scolded. Stefan gave his brother a disapproving look.

Phoebe gestured for her sister to shut up, while Damon explained, "Katherine showed up in the waiting room, while you were sleeping, and pretended to be Elena. The nurse let her back here, with John, and she tried to kill him with the leg of a chair. She was gone by the time we realized she wasn't Elena."

" _Why didn't she try to kill me? I was unconscious. Easy prey,"_ Phoebe asked.

"We don't know," Stefan answered. "Maybe she heard us coming and had to leave, before she could."

"Oh, please," Damon scoffed. "If Katherine wants you dead, there is zero you can do about it. You will be dead. But you're not, so clearly she has other plans."

"Right, and we need to find out what those other plans are, not provoke her in the process," said Stefan, referring to his brother. "What happened tonight when you all thought she was Elena?"

"Nothing. She came in, pretended to be Elena, and went back to see Phoebe," said Damon.

"John must know something. There has to be a reason why Katherine tried to kill him," Elena noted.

"She's Katherine. She loves to play games, and your fooling yourself if you think you're gonna find out what she's up to before she wants you to know," Damon scoffed.

"No, actually, Elena's right. John could know something through Isobel. She was in touch with Katherine, so maybe we can get him to talk," Stefan objected.

"I've got a better idea," said Damon.

"What's that?" Stefan asked.

"I'm just gonna ignore the bitch," Damon answered.

"I-Is that smart?" Elena questioned.

Damon shrugged, "If Katherine thinks she's being ignored, it'll lure her out. She'll make a move."

"Yeah? Then what?" Stefan questioned.

"Stake her. Rip her head off. Something poetic. We'll see," Damon replied, nonchalantly.

Phoebe picked up the pen and paper, and began writing something down, _"Damon's right. Katherine is clever and loves to play with people. But she isn't going to get whatever it is she's after. Stefan, Damon, and Anna know how she operates; which gives us an advantage. I figured out what Damon was up to when he first showed up, I can figure out what Katherine is up. She may pose more of a challenge, but I'll figure it out. Until then, if she wants to play games, then let's play."_

The next day, a wake is held at the Lockwood manor for the Mayor's family. Most of the town dropped by at one point or another to pay their respects to the grieving family. Carol Lockwood and Liz Forbes argue about what happened the night before – the Mayor and Damon being mistakenly put down in the basement with the vampires. Damon does his best to play mediator and keep them calm. While he does that, Tyler greets his Uncle Mason Lockwood, who's just arrived from Florida.

Meanwhile at the hospital, Phoebe visits her father in his room. John was resting, when she arrived.

"Dad?" Phoebe rasped.

John opened his eyes to see Phoebe sitting next to his bed. She was in a wheelchair, with an oxygen tank. She smiled at him, but he began fumbling to find the nurse call button.

Phoebe held up her hands and rasped, "Dad, it's me, Phoebe. Not Katherine."

John looked at her bandaged hand. Phoebe understood that he needed proof, so she unwrapped her hand to reveal her burned palm. John seemed satisfied by this, and relaxed.

"Damon told me that Katherine pretended to be Elena, and attacked you," Phoebe began. She paused to cough. "Do you know why?"

John tried sitting up, which was obviously painful for him.

"Dad, you need to relax," She scolded. She seemed almost out of breath as she continued. "You were impaled by a chair leg just a few hours ago, remember?"

"Yes, Phoebe, I was there," John retorted, taking his daughter's advice and relaxing. He watched her try to breathe normally. "How are you doing?"

Phoebe shrugged, "As well as anyone who was technically dead for a few minutes."

John seemed disturbed at her attitude. He thought back to her lying there, lifeless, as he performed compressions on her chest. He maintained his composure in front of the others, but if she hadn't woken up…

Phoebe noticed his discomfort, and changed the topic back to Katherine, "What does Katherine want?"

John remained silent.

"She'll just try again. I can't help you if you don't confide in me," Phoebe pressed.

"You and the Salvatores, you mean?" John remarked.

"I confide in them. I trust them. All I ask is that you trust _me_ ," Phoebe replied.

John hesitated, but relented, "I never spoke with Katherine directly. She never trusted me."

Phoebe nodded in response, as she thought about her next request. "I need you to leave town."

John looked at her in confusion and surprise, "What?"

"I can get someone to give you vampire blood to heal your injuries, and then I need you to leave town. It's too dangerous for you here. Katherine's already tried to kill you once, she'll try it again," Phoebe explained. She ranted it off so fast, that she was out of breath by the time she'd finished.

"Phoebe, I'm not leaving you. I don't care how dangerous it is for me, I'm staying," John replied. Phoebe looked ready to argue more, but he cut her off. "I'm your father, Phoebe. It's my job to protect you. Not the other way around. I backed down from the chance to be your father twice before, I won't make that mistake again."

Phoebe took a deep breath and nodded. She frequently paused to breathe as she replied, "Okay. Then there are a few things…you need to know. For one thing…Jenna doesn't know anything about the supernatural world…and that's how it's going to stay for now…I personally would like to tell her soon…if Katherine's going to be…wandering around pretending to be us…but it's not my decision to make…Elena, Jeremy, Rick, and I have to agree on it…but we haven't had the chance to discuss it yet."

"So Jeremy does know about all of this?" John asked.

Phoebe nodded, "That brings me to my next thing…I saved Anna from being taken last night…Jeremy loves her, and she loves him…she goes on the 'No Kill' list…I also plan on getting her to agree…to not kill you for killing…her mom."

"So, basically, if I'm gonna stay, then the same rules apply from before? No killing the 'good vampires' and in return they won't kill me. And leave Jenna out of the supernatural business," John guessed.

Phoebe smiled and nodded.

"I can do that. As long as you promise not to cut me out of the loop. If Katherine does something, I wanna know about it. If Stefan and Damon come up with a crazy and dangerous plan to get rid of her, I wanna know about it," John told her. "You've asked me to trust you with what I know, knowing you're gonna repeat it to Stefan and Damon. I'm asking you to trust me with whatever they have to say or do."

"Sounds fair," said Phoebe.

"And since I'm gonna be in here for a while, you can give my ring to Jeremy. To keep him safe from Katherine," said John, indicating to a nearby manila envelope.

"What about you?" Phoebe asked.

"I'll be fine," he assured her. "I think we both know that if Katherine really wanted me dead, she'd have finished the job by now."

Phoebe nodded in agreement.

"And another thing. Tell Anna…tell her I'm sorry," John added.

Back at the Lockwood mansion, Damon finds himself intrigued by Tyler's Uncle Mason. He asks Liz about Mason, but only becomes more suspicious about Mason. He can't put his finger on it, but something is off about him. Elsewhere, Katherine is invited in by Tyler, who thinks she's Elena.

Meanwhile at the Gilbert house, Jenna and Rick prepare something to bring over to the Lockwood's. Upstairs, Elena gathers a few things for Rick to bring to Phoebe; while Jeremy and Anna discuss her going to the Lockwood's.

"I don't think it's a good idea, Jeremy," said Anna. "I mean, what if they know about me?"

"They don't. Trust me," said Jeremy. "My uncle was the only one who knew about you, and since he isn't exactly the sharing type, I doubt he told anyone else on the Council."

"How can you be sure?" Anna questioned.

"Well, for one thing, no one tried to stake you at the hospital last night," Jeremy answered. Anna gave him a look, and he laughed.

"Why is it so important that I go to this stupid thing, anyway?" Anna asked.

Jeremy took a breath and got serious, "Because I'm afraid you'll be gone when I get back. You have a habit of disappearing on me, Anna. And Phoebe didn't do what she did to save you, just so you could skip town on me."

Anna moved closer to Jeremy, put a hand on his face, and looked him in the eye, "I wouldn't leave you like that. Not without saying goodbye, first."

"I don't want you to go," Jeremy told her.

"Then I won't," she replied. "But I can't go to the Lockwood's and pretend to care that the Mayor died, while keeping an eye out for Katherine, and an ear open for Council members talking about me."

"Well, when you put it like that, it does sound like a lot of work," Jeremy admitted.

Anna laughed, "Yeah. I'll go back to the hospital with Rick, and keep Phoebe company."

Jeremy smiled and nodded.

Back at the Lockwood manor, Bonnie talks to Damon about the Gilbert device affecting Tyler and his father. He admits he doesn't know how it happened – when they aren't even vampires – but would love to know the answer. He then asked about how Caroline was doing. Bonnie told him that she was fine – thanks to Stefan – but warns him that if he so much as spills one drop of innocent blood again, she'll take him out. Damon brushes her threat off in his usual joking manner. Bonnie demonstrates her power by using the vampire repellant spell on him.

While he recovers from that, Bonnie goes outside to get some air. She sees Katherine, and assumes she's Elena. Bonnie vents to her about Damon, and Katherine pretends to be her friend. When Bonnie finishes venting, she asks how Phoebe is doing and touches her 'friend' on the arm. That's when she realizes she isn't Elena, and takes her leave to call Elena.

Katherine follows her, and corners her. Bonnie tries using the same spell on Katherine that she just used on Damon, but Katherine is immune. Thankfully for Bonnie, Stefan arrives in time to stop Katherine. The old couple chats a little bit, before Katherine leads Stefan outside to talk in private.

Meanwhile, back at the hospital, Rick and Anna return with some things for Phoebe. They brought her some clothes – rather than continue to wear that uncomfortable gown – as well as some books, art supplies, and her iPod.

"You guys are amazing," Phoebe told them, looking through what they brought.

"We're just the delivery service," said Rick. "Elena packed the bag."

"Jeremy grabbed the art supplies, though," Anna added. "He thought you might wanna draw."

Phoebe smiled, as she began unhooking herself from everything. There wasn't much to unhook. Mostly it was heart monitors and an oxygen mask. Nothing that was sticking into her arm, like a needle.

"What are you doing?" Rick asked her.

"Going take a shower…and change out of this awful gown," Phoebe replied.

"Shouldn't you call a nurse or something, first?" Anna asked.

"If I do that…they'll probably just try talking me into a…sponge bath, or want to help me shower," Phoebe replied. She still had to pause occasionally to breathe. "Would either of you want some…stranger helping you bathe?"

Anna and Rick exchanged awkward glances, and said nothing in response.

"That's what I thought," Phoebe rasped, heading for the bathroom.

Phoebe took a hot, steamy shower – that helped her breathing quite a bit – then put on her sugar gnome shorts and a t-shirt with Wiley Coyote on it.

"Much better," she announced, exiting the bathroom. Phoebe looked around, and noticed Rick wasn't there. "Where's Rick?"

"He went to the Lockwood's to pay his respects," Anna answered.

"Ah," Phoebe muttered, hooking herself back up to the machines.

"Phoebe?" Anna called.

"Yeah?" Phoebe replied, looking up.

"I just wanted to say thank you. For saving my life, like you did. I mean, I know you did it for Jeremy and not me, but still," said Anna.

"I didn't do it just for Jeremy," Phoebe told her. "I mean, yeah, for the most part it was. But I also did it because you didn't deserve to die. You weren't like the other vampires from 1864; you didn't want revenge on the Founding families. Sure, you did what you felt you had to do to get your mother back, but you never really hurt anyone."

Anna smiled, "How do you do that? How can you be so nice to someone who kidnapped you and used you as leverage? Someone who was willing to feed your little brother to a starving vampire?"

Phoebe shrugged, "I don't know. I guess because, unlike everyone else, I don't let my emotions control me. Instead of getting mad at you and holding a grudge for something you were going to do, I choose to acknowledge what you did do. Which was falling for my brother, and choosing not to sacrifice him. Even though you did start to feed my sister to your mom, there was still so much more you could've done, if you really wanted to kill her. I can't help but look at things from a logical perspective, and analyze them accordingly. Why do you think I care for Damon so much?"

"Uh, because he's mysterious, dangerous, and sexy?" Anna guessed jokingly.

Phoebe made a face that said she agreed with what she'd said, "Well…yeah, those things certainly don't hurt…but that's not why I risked my life to save his."

Anna nodded, "You love him?"

"I don't know," Phoebe replied. "All I do know is the thought of losing him scared me. It scared me more than losing my own life."

"Yeah, you know what they call that?" Anna asked, rhetorically. Phoebe just looked at her. "Love."

Phoebe fought back a smile, as the nurse came in to check on her.

Back at the Lockwood manor, the Gilbert's finally arrive. Jeremy finds Tyler in his dad's study, drinking alone. The two have a friendly moment, before Mason shoos Jeremy away, and confiscating the flask. Jenna brings the food in and pays her respects to Carol, while Elena wanders around looking for Stefan. Damon, on the other hand receives a call from Phoebe.

He smiled at his phone, before answering it, "Shouldn't you be resting your voice still?"

"The doctor's been pretty aggressive with my treatments. I also took a hot shower. The steam really helped," Phoebe replied. "How are you doing?"

"Great, Phoebe. Walkin' on sunshine. Thanks for asking," he replied, somewhat sarcastically.

"Damon."

"Phoebe."

Phoebe took a deep breath, "We should be able to talk about this. We're close enough now. I really wanna know how you're doing."

"You're scared. You think Katherine's gonna send me off the deep end, don't ya?" Damon asked her.

"I think that when you love someone as much as you love her, and for as long as you've loved her, it gives her the power to hurt you more than you'd care to admit," Phoebe replied.

"Mm, no, I don't get hurt, Phoebe," he groaned.

"No, you don't admit that you get hurt. You get angry, cover it up, and then you do something stupid," Phoebe corrected. "So, yeah, I guess you could say I am scared she's gonna send you off the deep end."

"Not gonna happen," Damon dismissed.

"How do you know?"

"Because I have a lifeline that she can never sever," said Damon.

"And what is this magic lifeline?" Phoebe questioned.

"You."

Phoebe blushed, and bit her lip. She was thankful he couldn't see her right now.

Meanwhile, Katherine and Stefan discuss why she's come back. She claims she came back for him, but Stefan doesn't buy it. He insults her, and informs her that he hates her. Katherine responds by impaling him with a nearby candlestick, before running off. Damon and Elena find Stefan not long after, and Damon tries tracking Katherine, while Elena tends to Stefan.

"You gonna be okay?" Elena asked him.

"Yeah, it'll heal," Stefan replied.

"That's not what I meant," said Elena.

Stefan hesitated before explaining, "I was tryin' to figure her out. I was playing along, and I let her to me."

"Tried to track her, but she's gone," Damon announced, returning. He saw his brother's abs, and added, "Ooh! Cover up, Fabio. We got a crazy ex on the loose."

Stefan and Elena didn't seem to appreciate his humor, but this was nothing new.

Damon looked down at Elena, and added, "Better watch out. Looks like Katherine's tryin' to steal your guy."

Elena looked at Stefan, who told her, "That's not what's happening."

"Isn't it?" Damon pressed.

"I'm gonna go check on Jenna and Jeremy. Let me know when you guys are done," she said, leaving the brothers.

Stefan looked up at his brother, "Katherine's gonna try and play us against each other, you do know that, right?"

"Brother, don't you worry. Our bond is unbreakable," Damon replied, somewhat jokingly.

Stefan stood up, "It's not just us, Damon. She's already gone after Phoebe once. And pretending you don't care about her isn't going to work, because Katherine knows better. You actually care about her. You feel something for her. And I'm not gonna let Katherine come in here and just destroy that part of you that has finally, after all this time, willing to feel something."

Damon remained silent.

Stefan looked his brother in the eye, and added, "She'll try to break you. She'll try to break us. And how we respond to that will define us. It's our choice."

Later that evening, Jeremy joined Anna at the hospital to see Phoebe. After exchanging pleasantries, and hearing what had happened at the Lockwood's, Phoebe gave Jeremy the ring.

"I don't understand, why give it to me? You're his favorite," Jeremy questioned.

"I'm a supernatural being; the ring won't work on me. Elena's supernatural, too, so it won't work for her either," Phoebe replied. "So that leaves you, Jenna, or Matt. I figured, since you were actually involved in the supernatural world, you could use it."

Jeremy nodded, and slid the ring onto his finger.

"He also wanted me to tell you," Phoebe began, looking at Anna. "That he was sorry for killing your mother."

"I doubt that," Anna scoffed.

"So do I," Phoebe sighed. "But he wants to be. He genuinely wants to leave his bigotry behind him, and stop seeing all vampires as evil. In fact he's promised to do his best, and to not kill you."

"And you actually believe him?" Anna asked. Phoebe nodded.

"Why?" Jeremy asked.

"Well, aside from the fact that he told me about his plan to round up all the vampires several hours in advanced – so I could keep Stefan and Damon safe…he's my dad," Phoebe replied.

Anna and Jeremy looked at her in surprise.

"Yeah, Elena and I just found out," said Phoebe.

"Well, this family just got more interesting," said Jeremy.

"Tell me about it. My dad is your uncle, my mother is our history teacher's ex-wife, our history teacher is dating our aunt, and our aunt used to sleep with my dad," Phoebe replied.

"Never a dull moment, is it?" Anna commented.

"Nope," said Jeremy and Phoebe together. The three of them began to laugh.

"You know, Jeremy, he was taught to hate them. The vampires. It's what he knows. It's what your father knew," said Phoebe.

Jeremy shook his head, "My father would've seen things differently."

"No, he may have done things differently, but he still would've seen things the way John does," Phoebe argued.

Jeremy looked down at his ring and asked, "Why didn't his ring protect him? Why is he still dead?"

"What happened to them wasn't supernatural. It was an accident. There's nothing that can save us from that," said Phoebe.

"I wonder what he'd think of all this. Of me," Jeremy mused. Anna placed a comforting hand on his arm.

"He'd probably think that you're still young. Still finding yourself. But just like I plan to open my father's eyes to the fact that not all vampires are evil, I think you could've done the same for your dad," Phoebe told him, encouragingly.

Meanwhile at the Boarding House, Katherine pops by to see Damon on his way out to see Phoebe.

"Very brave of you to come here," said Damon, turning to face her.

Katherine grinned at him from where she sat on the couch, "I wanted to say goodbye."

"Leaving so soon?" he asked uncaringly.

"I know where I'm not wanted," she said teasingly.

"Don't pout. It's not attractive on a woman your age," Damon told her, heading out.

"Ouch," mumbled Katherine. She flitted in front of him, blocking is path. "What, no goodbye kiss?"

"Why don't I kill you instead?" he retorted. "What are you doing here?"

"Nostalgia, curiosity, etcetera," she replied, nonchalantly.

Damon scoffed, "I'm better at the enigmatic one-liners, Katherine. What are you up to?"

"Trust me, Damon. When I'm up to something, you'll know it. Come on. Kiss me. Or kill me. Which will it be, Damon? We both know that you're only capable of one," Katherine taunted, moving closer and closer. She knocked him to the ground, and lay on top of him. "My sweet, innocent Damon."

Damon rolls over on top of her, and grabs her by throat. He tries to resist, but inevitably caves, and kisses her.

"That's more like it," Katherine beamed. The two began tearing each other's clothes off, and things became more heated. As Damon kissed her, he thought of Phoebe and the kiss they shared only yesterday. That kiss was real. It had passion, and feeling behind it. Katherine's kisses were empty. Void of any feeling.

Damon pushed her away, "Wait. I can't do this."

Katherine looked at him in confusion and surprise, "What?"

"I've spent 145 years loving you. Waiting for the day we can be together again," Damon began. "I don't know if it was ever real between us, or not. You may have had a perfectly good reason for avoiding me for the past century and a half, but you know what? I don't care. Because with Phoebe I _know_ it's real. I _know_ what she feels for me is real. She doesn't play games...she makes me happy. And that's enough for me."

Katherine watched him head for the door, angry at the hold Phoebe had over him. It was almost too strong to break, but she needed to break it. So she played the last card she had to play, "It was never real between us, Damon."

Damon stopped in his tracks, but didn't turn back to look at her.

"The truth is...I've never loved you. It was always Stefan," said Katherine. She grinned to herself, as she left the Boarding house. She knew she'd gotten under his skin with that. That it would hurt him enough to do something stupid. All she had to do now was wait. Wait and see if what he did was bad enough to break the bond he had with Phoebe.

Sometime later, Damon made it to the hospital. When he got to Phoebe's room, Jeremy and Anna were out getting snacks, leaving Phoebe alone. Phoebe was happy to see him, but soon realized that he was drunk and not in the best of moods.

"What happened?" Phoebe asked him.

Damon sat on the bed next to, facing away from her, "Katherine. She...got under my skin. I tried my best to ignore her. To not care what she had to say..."

Phoebe cupped his cheek with her hand, and turned his head to face her, "What did she say?"

"I don't wanna talk about her," said Damon, with a half smirk. Phoebe's touch was once again working its magic, making him feel better. He turned his body to face her, and leaned in to kiss her. Phoebe kissed him back.

As they kissed, Damon began thinking the same thing he had earlier. He thought about how loving and caring Phoebe's kisses were, compared to Katherine's empty ones. Unfortunately, their moment was soon ruined. Phoebe somehow saw what Damon was thinking about. About the moments he had with Katherine, prior to his arrival at the hospital. She saw them kissing, him telling her about his feelings for Phoebe, and then Katherine getting in one final jab.

Phoebe pushed Damon away, mildly freaked out.

Damon gave her a puzzled look, "What is it?"

"I saw you with Katherine," Phoebe answered, thinking back over what she just saw.

"You what?" Damon questioned. "How did yo-"

"You kissed her!" Phoebe interrupted, climbing out of her bed.

"Phoebe..." Damon began. He tried to find the words, but couldn't.

Phoebe backed away from him, "Get out."

"Phoebe, just let me explain," Damon pleaded.

"No!" Phoebe snapped. She wasn't so much angry with him - though she was a little upset by what she saw - as she was freaked out by her ability to somehow read his mind.

All of the sudden Anna flitted into the room, and stood between the two of them, "What's going on?"

"This doesn't concern you," Damon snapped.

Anna blocked his path to Phoebe, "Maybe not, I head her tell you to get out."

"So?" Damon asked, growing annoyed.

"So maybe you should get out," came a voice from behind Damon. It was Jeremy.

Damon became more annoyed by their interference, "This is none of your business, Gilbert."

"Yeah, it kinda is," Jeremy argued. "You've obviously done something to upset my sister. That makes it my business."

"Phoebe, just let me explain," Damon pleaded, ignoring Jeremy.

Jeremy stepped closer to Damon and put a hand on his shoulder. He started to tell him to leave again, but Damon snapped. In a flash, Damon had snapped Jeremy's neck. Phoebe gasped, and ran to her brother's lifeless body. Anna used her vampire strength to shoved Damon out of the room, and away from Jeremy. She shoved him so hard, that he flew across the hall, hit the wall, and sunk to the floor. As he picked himself up, Damon saw the two girls crowded around Jeremy's lifeless body. Their grief made him realize just how badly he'd screwed up, and regret hit him like a train.

Meanwhile at the Lockwood manor, Tyler finally reacts to his father's death. He goes into a fit of anger, and throws things. Mason has to restrain him until he calms down. After which he talks to him about the Lockwood family curse of bad tempers.

Back at the hospital, Stefan and Elena swing by to see Phoebe on their way out - having just visited Caroline - to find Anna and Phoebe still holding Jeremy's dead body. Phoebe zones out, while Anna explains what happened, and assures them that Jeremy will be fine, because he's wearing John's ring. Jeremy wakes up, shortly thereafter, freaked out from having just been killed.

Meanwhile in Caroline's room, Katherine tells Caroline to give Stefan and Damon a message for her, before smothering her with a pillow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really excited for this season, there's so much going on it (and questions answered)! Is Phoebe a doppelganger? What's up with that weird power thing she's got? How will her first meeting with Elijah go? What will Klaus think of her, when he arrives? What will things be like with Anna still around? Keep up the reviews and stay tuned!
> 
> On a side note, guys, I have a link (https://www.pinterest.com/hawkeye1365) for my pinterest page. If you go to the FanFiction board you can see some of the dresses I've described Phoebe wearing. I also played around with making her bedroom in the Sims, and there's a picture of what her room looks like. For those of you who need the added visual aid. ;)


	24. Brave New World

Chapter 24: Brave New World

A few hours later – after having been smothered by Katherine – Caroline wakes up in transition. She walks out of her room, and talks to the nurse on shift. She tells the nurse she's hungry, but the nurse just tells her to go back to bed and wait for breakfast. The nurse walks away, and a neighboring patient's blood bag catches Caroline's eye. She doesn't understand why, but she steals the bag, and brings it back to her room. Once there, she drinks from it, completing her transition.

The next morning at the high school, Elena takes over Caroline's job of coordinating the school carnival, with Bonnie's help.

"I mean, Katherine looked just like you and Phoebe. It was freakish," said Bonnie.

"She is our ancestor," Elena sighed, not wanting to talk about this. "Hey, I moved the student booth into the cafeteria."

"Your vampire ancestor, and she didn't just resemble you two like a family member would. She _was_ you," Bonnie pressed.

"I don't - I don't know. I can't explain it. Okay? It's creepy. It's all I got," Elena replied, growing more irritated with Bonnie's conversation choice.

Bonnie didn't seem to get that she wasn't interested in discussing this, and continued, "Well, how do you know she's not still out there pretending to be you?"

"I don't, but I could sit here and be tortured by the not knowing, or I could get these prizes to the ringtoss," said Elena.

"Has Phoebe talked to Damon since he killed Jeremy - or tried to kill Jeremy?" Bonnie asked.

"No, she hasn't, and I don't think she will," Elena replied. Since Bonnie obviously wasn't getting the message, Elena tried a more direct approach. "Look, Bonnie, I don't wanna talk about Damon, or Katherine, or anything else vampire-related, okay?"

Bonnie smiled sheepishly, "Copy that."

"I'm human. And I have to do human stuff. Otherwise, I'm gonna go crazy," Elena added.

"Okay. I'm sorry. Now focus. We have to make Caroline proud, or she will kill us," replied Bonnie. "I don't know how she does this all the time."

"Well, because she's not human, obviously," Elena joked.

Bonnie laughed, "Obviously."

Meanwhile, inside the school, Jeremy and Anna talk about ways to hurt a vampire.

"So why vervain? What makes it so special?" Jeremy asked.

"I dunno. There are just certain natural herbs and elements that are harmful to vampires," Anna replied.

"Like a stake to the heart."

"Right," she confirmed. "But it has to be wood."

"You're pretty confident in yourself, telling me all the different ways I could kill you," he teased, with a smirk.

Anna returned his teasing smirk, and wrapped her arms around his neck, "Jeremy, if I thought you wanted to kill me, we'd be having a much different conversation."

"Yeah," he agreed. "Damon is the one that deserves it."

Anna looked at him seriously, "I want you to forget about Damon, alright? He's a hundred times stronger than you, and right now he's not stable. You've just gotta try to move forward."

Jeremy looked at her just as seriously, "I was killed by a vampire, and brought back by a magic ring. How do you move forward from there?"

"Well, today we have a nice little distraction, courtesy of your slave driving sister Elena," she joked, her smile returning. Jeremy laughed, lightly. "So today we're all gonna be boring high school students, who live in a world of ignorant bliss of the supernatural world. No vampire talk, no magic rings, nothing supernatural what-so-ever. Got it?"

"Got it," said Jeremy. He then leaned forward and kissed her on the lips.

Meanwhile, at the Lockwood Manor, Damon meets with Carol Lockwood. She wants Damon to lead the Founders' Council, since she's going to have her hands full with taking over the Mayor's duties. She wanted to ask John Gilbert, but he's going to be in the hospital for a while, so he obviously won't be able to do much from there. Damon graciously accepts. As Carol continues to talk, Damon uses his vampire hearing to eavesdrop on Mason and Tyler, who are in the next room. Mason asks Tyler about his temper problems, inquiring if it happens in any specific pattern, or if playing sports helps relieve the tension. Tyler hasn't noticed a pattern, and the sports don't help.

A little while later, Phoebe decides to drop by Caroline's room for a visit.

"I heard you were getting released tomorrow morning," Phoebe announced, entering the room.

"Morning?" Caroline questioned. She glanced back at the ray of sun creeping through the window. "No, I need to get out tonight."

"Sorry, Caroline, but the carnival's gonna happen without you," Phoebe told her. Caroline began squirming around the bed, like she does when she's told something is out of her control. "I know it's hard for your neurotic, control-freak personality to process, but Bonnie and Elena have it."

Caroline stopped, and looked up at Phoebe, "I'm not neurotic."

Phoebe smiled, "Yeah, you are. But it's okay, everyone's used to it."

"Look, it's not about the carnival. Okay, it's just that this place is just really depressing," Caroline replied, trying to plead with her, as though it were up to her to decide when she gets released.

"That's because you're sitting in the dark," said Phoebe, walking over to the window, and pulling back the curtains.

"No, don't!" Caroline cried, flitting out of the bed and across the room.

Phoebe looked back and saw Caroline hugging the wall, trying desperately to avoid the sun, "Caroline?"

"Just close it, please?" Caroline asked.

Phoebe closed the curtains, and then the door. Caroline sank to the floor, crying.

Phoebe knelt beside her, "Who did this to you?"

"I thought it was Elena, but she said her name was-" Caroline began.

"Katherine," Phoebe finished.

"You know her? Did your mom have like triplets, or something?" Caroline asked.

"More like or something," said Phoebe. "It's a long story. What do you remember?"

Caroline thought back, "I just remember waking up to her standing over me. She said her name was Katherine, and that she had a message for the Salvatore brothers."

"What was the message?"

Caroline didn't answer. She looked to be still thinking, until she declared, "I remember."

"What do you remember?" Phoebe asked. "What did Katherine say?"

"I remember how Damon manipulated me, pushed me around, abused me, erased my memories...fed on me," Caroline answered.

Phoebe sighed, "Yeah, that's an effect of the transition. Any past compulsion wares off, and you remember everything you were told to forget."

"The memories have been coming back in pieces," Caroline mumbled, still focusing on those memories.

Phoebe grabbed Caroline by the shoulders, "Caroline, look at me. I understand this is a lot to take in, and you probably have a thousand questions. And I promise to explain everything, just as soon as you tell me what Katherine said. Please, Caroline, it's important."

Caroline looked Phoebe in the eye, and composed herself the best she could, "She said, 'game on'."

"Okay, I'm gonna be honest, I was expecting something a bit more...epic," Phoebe commented to herself. She cleared her throat, and turned her attention back to Caroline, "Okay, so my next question is, who gave you blood?"

"What?" Caroline asked, confused.

"Blood. Human blood. You need to drink it to complete your transition," said Phoebe. "Obviously a hospital is gonna be full of blood, but...wait...you didn't...you didn't kill anyone, did you?"

"No!" Caroline wailed. "No, I stole a blood bag from another patient."

Phoebe breathed a sigh of relief.

"Wait, you said transition. Transition into what?" Caroline asked.

"Well, you're probably gonna call me crazy and/or laugh, but...a vampire," Phoebe answered.

Caroline started to do just what Phoebe said she would, but stopped to think. She remembered Damon telling her how vampires were made, and knew Phoebe wasn't crazy. She was right. Caroline began to cry again, and Phoebe did her best to console her. When she eventually stopped, Phoebe did her best to explain everything to Caroline, about what she was.

Meanwhile, at the Boarding House, Stefan checks in on Damon.

"Care for one?" Damon offered, fixing himself a glass of blood.

"No. Thank you. I'm not hungry. Just ate," Stefan declined.

"Aren't you worried that one day, all the forest animals are gonna band together and fight back?" Damon joked. "I mean, surely they talk."

"I'm just happy that's a, uh - a blood bag and not a sorority girl supplying your dinner," Stefan replied.

Damon smiled, "I like this, you walking on eggshells around me because you think I'm gonna explode. It's very suspenseful."

Stefan said nothing.

Damon looked down at his drink, and feigned indifference, "Is Phoebe worried, too?"

"Actually, she hasn't mentioned you at all," Stefan answered. Damon did his best to hide his disappointment. "Have you heard from Katherine?"

"I think the Lockwoods have a family secret, because the Gilbert device affected them; but the vervain didn't, so they're not vampires. They're something else," said Damon ignoring his brother's question.

"Is this your new obsession?" Stefan asked.

"Well, if you'd rather some unknown supernatural element running rampant in our town, fine. I'll drop it," Damon replied.

"We haven't seen the last of Katherine. You do know that, right? We have no idea what she's up to. And, thanks to you, the one person who can match Katherine's intellect no longer wants to be in the same room with you. Which is going to make figuring her out that much more difficult," Stefan told him.

"What's to figure out, Stefan? Katherine came back to profess her undying, eternal love for you. So, I'm gonna let you deal with her, because I've got better things to do, like...explode," Damon teased, walking away.

Back at the hospital, Phoebe's gotten Caroline to compel their doctors to release them now, so they can get Caroline to Stefan. Phoebe's also stolen a couple more blood bags for Caroline to eat, instead of risking her losing control on a person. The two girls got dressed, and packed up their things to leave. Caroline somehow managed to look cute, as usual; while Phoebe wore her usual messy ponytail, "Bad Wolf" capris, and an olive green t-shirt with an arrow pointing to her face that said "I'm with genius". Their different senses of styles could also be seen in their choice of bags. Caroline's was as nice and fashionable as she was. Phoebe's looked like the starship _Enterprise_.

"Ready to go?" Phoebe asked, returning to Caroline's room from her own.

"Almost," Caroline replied, putting on her necklace. It burned her, and she ripped it off, throwing it across the room.

Phoebe picked it up, emptied the vervain out of it – and rinsed it off, just to be sure – and handed it back to her.

"Thanks," said Caroline, accepting the necklace. She put it on, and asked, "Why are you being so nice to me?"

"Because this is a major life-changing thing, that no one should have to go through alone," Phoebe answered. "And though I could technically just call Elena and Stefan to come here and get you, I'm not the kind of person to kick another person when they're down."

Caroline gave a small smiled, "Thanks."

Phoebe twitched a smile in response, and nodded. The two girls then grabbed their bags, and headed out. While they head to the school carnival to find Stefan, Elena and Bonnie successfully run the carnival in Caroline's place. Meanwhile, at the Lockwood Manor, Mason Lockwood searches his brother's office for something. Tyler walks in on him, and asks him what he's looking for. Mason tells him he's looking for an old family heirloom called a moonstone.

Later at the carnival, Stefan finds Damon watching Mason and Tyler Lockwood at the arm-wrestling table. For an experiment, Damon volunteers Stefan to arm-wrestle Mason. Stefan humors his brother, and does his best – even tapping in to his vampire strength – to beat Mason, but can't. For further experimenting, Damon compels a random carnie to pick a fight with Tyler, and not back down, no matter what.

Elsewhere, Phoebe and Caroline arrive. The two had barely arrived, when Caroline disappeared to find Matt. Phoebe knows where she's gone, but doesn't know where to find Matt. As she searches the carnival, she runs into Jeremy and Anna.

"Phoebe? What are you doing here? You're supposed to be in the hospital," said Jeremy.

"Yeah, I had to arrange an early release," Phoebe replied.

"Why, what happened?" Anna asked.

"Katherine killed Caroline last night," Phoebe answered.

"What?" Jeremy asked, surprised. "Why?"

"I don't know. But because she had Stefan's blood in her system when she died, she's now a vampire," Phoebe explained. "I brought her here to see Stefan, but now she's run off to find Matt."

"Phoebe," Jeremy began.

"I know, I know. In hind-sight, I regret my decision to bring her here. But the hospital was way worse. It was full of blood. Keeping her there any longer would have been much dummer."

"She's right," Anna agreed.

"Do you think you could use your hearing or something to help me find her?" Phoebe asked. Anna nodded. "Great. I'm gonna go find Stefan and Elena and let them know what's going on. Call me or text me if you find her."

Phoebe headed for Rick's classroom while she texted Stefan, Elena, and Rick to meet her in there ASAP. Stefan got her text while he was watching Damon's experiment with Tyler unfold. Elena was managing the carnival, and Rick was hanging out with Jenna. Eventually, they all met up with her in Rick's classroom.

"What's going on?" asked Stefan, entering the room. He was the last to arrive.

Phoebe looked around at the other three, "Forgive me for being calloused, but we don't have time to bask in our shock. So long story short, Katherine killed Caroline last night, sending her into transition. She woke up and instinctively stole a blood bag from another patient, and drank it, thus completing her transition into a vampire. And before you ask, no I did not leave her at the hospital surrounded by all that blood. I brought her here to see Stefan, but she took off to find Matt. I have Anna and Jeremy looking for her right now."

"I don't understand. Why would Katherine kill Caroline?" Rick asked.

"I don't know. She told Caroline to tell the brothers 'game on', and then smothered her with a pillow," Phoebe answered.

"She said 'game on'? What does that even mean?" Stefan questioned.

"It means she's playing dirty. She wants us to know," Phoebe guessed.

"But why Caroline?" Elena questioned.

"I don't know," said Phoebe.

"Caroline must be completely out of her mind. She has no idea what's happening to her," Elena noted.

"No, she does," said Phoebe. "I told her what she needed to know."

"We have to fine her," said Stefan.

"Yep. And kill her," said Damon, entering the room. He'd been eavesdropping outside.

"You're not gonna kill Caroline," Stefan told him.

"She knows who we are. She's officially a liability. We gotta get rid of her," Damon argued.

"Damon, absolutely not," said Rick.

"Need I remind you of a tragic little story of a girl named Vicki Donovan? Yeah. Caroline, of all people, will not make it as a vampire. Her mother's a vampire hunter," Damon argued further. Everyone ignored him. "Guys, come on. We all know how this story ends, so let's just flipped to the last chapter and -"

"It's not an option, Damon," Phoebe snapped.

"No? Your silence is deafening, Stefan. Wait, wasn't there a school carnival the night you staked Vicki? Talk about a town where history repeats itself," Damon muttered.

Phoebe grabbed a nearby textbook, and tossed it at Damon. He was obviously able to deflect it, but it still seemed to surprise him. Not to mention everyone else.

"What was that-" Damon began.

Phoebe cut him off, "Because punching you in the face would probably break my hand, and I think you've done enough damage to my body for right now."

Damon didn't argue. He just looked away to avoid her gaze. The anger in her eyes was more hurtful than the words she spat at him.

Phoebe headed for the door, but briefly stopped next to him to add, "We're not killing her."

The others followed Phoebe out of the classroom, to find Caroline. Damon lingered a moment, then followed suit. While they were all talking, Caroline found Matt at the ringtoss. She tried playing normal, but when he hugged her she felt an overwhelming desire to bite him. Not wanting to hurt him, she took off to find Phoebe. Unfortunately, she stumbled upon the carnie that Damon had compelled to fight Tyler. His nose was bleeding, and Caroline was unable to stop herself.

While they search, Stefan and Elena talk about why Katherine would have done this to Caroline. Damon finds a stake, and begins hunting for Caroline. Anna catches the scent of blood in the air, and she and Jeremy follow it to Caroline. Jeremy stays back to call Phoebe, while Anna approaches Caroline.

"Caroline?" Anna called.

"He's dead. I killed him," Caroline sobbed. "What's wrong with me?"

"Hey. Hey, it's okay. I can help you," Anna told her, comfortingly.

Caroline looked up at her, "You can?"

Anna nodded, "Mhmm. Come on. Let's get you cleaned up."

Jeremy stayed with the body, while Anna took Caroline inside to get cleaned up.

"Jeremy!" Phoebe called, arriving. "Where is she?"

"Anna took her inside to get cleaned up," he answered.

"Oh, my god," Phoebe mumbled, seeing the dead carnie.

"I told you this would happen," said Damon, appearing.

"You're not killing her, Damon," Phoebe told him.

"Why do you even care so much?" Damon asked. "I thought you hated her."

"I did. She was horrible to me. But like I told her, I don't kick someone when they're down," Phoebe answered.

Damon could see the same anger in her eyes from earlier. The hurtful kind. The kind that made him want to cower down, like a dog being scolded. He avoided her gaze, once again, and told her, "Whatever happens...it's on you."

"Then so be it," said Phoebe.

Inside on the way to ladies' room, Anna and Caroline came across Bonnie. The moment she saw the blood on Caroline's face, her heart stopped, "Caroline? No. You're not. You can - you can't be."

"Bonnie?" Caroline questioned.

Bonnie walked up to her and grabbed her arm, "Oh, my god."

Anna ushered Caroline into the restroom, before anyone else could come along. There she helped clean up the blood all over Caroline's face. Caroline freaked out about Bonnie hating her, and the weird thing her eyes were doing. Anna explained to her that Bonnie didn't hate her, that she was just in shock, like everyone else. She also showed her that her eyes do the same thing, and explained that it was normal for vampires. It's the blood rushing, and when she feels it rushing like that, she needs to tell herself to get through it. Anna demonstrates for her, and helps her get it to stop.

Meanwhile, Bonnie goes outside to see what Caroline's done, and finds the dead carnie.

"Oh, my god," Bonnie mumbled.

"Bonnie," Phoebe began.

"I can't believe this is happening," said Bonnie through tears.

"Come on. Don't pout about it. We got a body to bury," said Damon. He looked over at the carnie, and commented, "Sucks to be you, buddy."

Bonnie used her power on Damon to bring him to the ground. She then starts the water hose, causing water to flow all the way over to where Damon lay on the ground.

"Bonnie, what are you doing?" Phoebe asked.

Bonnie didn't answer her. Instead, she addressed Damon, "I told you what would happen if anyone else got hurt."

"I didn't do this!" Damon cried.

"Bonnie, it wasn't his fault. Katherine killed Caroline," Phoebe defended.

"Everything that happens is his fault, Phoebe," Bonnie snapped.

"That's not true," Phoebe snapped back.

Bonnie used her power to turn the running water into fire.

"Bonnie, stop it!" Phoebe shouted.

The fire began creeping up Damon's legs. Phoebe ran over to him, and threw herself onto his legs to snuff out the flames.

Jeremy, who had been silent – due to his indifference to Bonnie killing Damon – now spoke up, "Bonnie, stop it! You're gonna kill her!"

Bonnie seemed to be so focused on killing Damon, she didn't seem to register that Phoebe was going to end up burned with him. Jeremy grabbed her, and shook her hard; snapping her out of it, and extinguishing the flames.

Bonnie shook her head, and looked over at Phoebe snuffing out the last of the flames on Damon's legs, "Why would you risk your life for him, again, after everything he's done?!"

"Because he didn't do this to Caroline! Katherine did!" Phoebe yelled. She got to her feet, and walked closer to Bonnie. "And just because you've got magic powers doesn't mean you get to play judge, jury, and executioner. It's not up to you to judge him as guilty of every bad thing that happens in this town, and kill him for it. You do that, and you're no better than he is."

Meanwhile, at the Lockwood Manor, Mason and Tyler argue about what happened in the parking lot. Tyler claims he saw Mason's eyes changed, but Mason feigns ignorance. Tyler later digs up the moonstone from its hiding place, and hides it where Mason can't find it. Carol expresses how glad she is that Mason is around for Tyler, since his father's gone.

Back at the school, Stefan and Elena take Caroline home; while Anna takes care of the carnie's body. Jeremy takes Phoebe home, and Damon goes home. After bringing Caroline home, Stefan escorts Elena home, where she expresses her disappointment in the night's events. She tells him she wanted a night free of supernatural drama, where Stefan would ride in the Ferris wheel with her to the top and kiss her. But Katherine killing Caroline spoiled all of that. Inside, Phoebe showers and takes her medicine – her lungs having been aggravated by the small fire she was throwing herself over.

Meanwhile, at the Boarding house, Damon goes downstairs for a drink, after a shower.

"What the hell are you doin' here?" Damon asked.

Jeremy, who was sitting in a chair behind him, replied, "You don't lock your front door."

Damon poured himself a drink, and raised it to his lips.

"I wouldn't. I...I laced it with vervain," said Jeremy.

Damon sniffed the drink, then put it down, "Now, why would you do that?"

"So I could stake you with this," Jeremy answered, tossing his stake aside.

Damon picked it up, "You came here to kill me?"

"Well, it's only fair. You killed me first," Jeremy told him.

Damon thought on that, as he took a seat on the couch, "What made you wisen up?"

"Phoebe," Jeremy answered. That caught Damon's undivided attention. "As hurt and angry as she is with you, right now...she was still willing to risk her life to save yours, again. I don't know why, but she still seems to care about you."

Damon said nothing.

"My father hated vampires. Phoebe and Elena's, too. They were absolute. They knew exactly what they stood for. I figure maybe I should, too. I mean, stand for something," Jeremy continued. "But killing you...what's that gonna do? Besides break what's left of Phoebe's heart."

Damon seized the opportunity to win Phoebe back. If he could get Jeremy to forgive him, then Phoebe would have to as well. Damon opened up, "My father hated vampires, too."

"He did?"

"Same reason your dad did. Only it was 1864. People knew how to whittle," he teased, indicating to Jeremy's stake. They both laughed. "You do this?"

"Yeah, I tried. It's a lot harder than it looks," Jeremy admitted.

Meanwhile, at Caroline's, Matt sneaks in through her window to see her. The two talk about her odd behavior earlier, and Matt hugs her. Caroline feels the urge to bite him again, but she does what Anna told her, and she gets through it.

Later that night, Stefan wakes Elena and brings her back to the carnival. He takes her to the top of the Ferris wheel, and he admits that things aren't gonna get any easier. Especially with Katherine back in town. But because of this, they need to take the little moments when they come. Elena agrees, and the two share a kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well there it is, ladies and germs! I hope you all enjoyed it. It feels so weird having to write Phoebe being so angry with Damon, yet nice to Caroline. I can't wait to get further into the season! I have so many exciting plans for it! As always, let me know what you think is going to happen next, what you hope to see happen, what do you think so far?


	25. Bad Moon Rising

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is, guys. The trip to Duke to dive into Isobel's research. There's also a bit more information about Phoebe revealed in here, and some overdue Matt interaction. ENJOY!

Chapter 25: Bad Moon Rising

The morning after the carnival, Tyler followed his uncle out on a run. He followed Mason all the way out into the woods to the old Lockwood property. Mason disappeared into the old cellar for a few minutes, before jogging away. Tyler went down into the cellar to see what his uncle had been up to, and found something very bizarre. Claw marks on the stone walls, old chains, and iron gates. Tyler took a few photos with his phone, and then returned home.

Meanwhile, at Donovan residents, Matt woke up to the delicious smell of French toast cooking in the kitchen. He sleepily shuffled his way out of his room, and into the kitchen to find his best friend cooking at the stove.

"Phoebe?" he questioned through a yawn.

"Finally! I thought you were gonna sleep forever!" Phoebe replied.

"What are you doing here?" Matt asked sleepily. He saw the coffee on the table, and poured himself a cup.

"Making you your birthday breakfast," Phoebe answered, turning off the stove.

"But my birthday was two days ago," he told her, sipping his coffee.

"Yes, but two days ago I was in the hospital, and therefore unable to make you your traditional birthday breakfast," she replied. Phoebe put a plate down in front of him, with a fresh Monte Cristo sandwich on it, and sat next to him. There was a candle sticking out of the sandwich, which Phoebe lit with a match, and began to sing. "Happy belated birthday to you. Happy belated birthday to you. Happy belated birthday, dear Mattie. Happy belated birthday to you."

Matt couldn't help but laugh at her, as he listened to her sing. She had a good singing voice – not that many people were allowed to hear it – and she somehow made the lyrics work with the rhythm of the song.

"Well, go on! Make a wish and blow it out before it gets wax all over your Monte Cristo," she encouraged.

Matt made a wish, and blew out the candle, like she said; then leaned over and kissed her on the cheek, "Thanks, Pheebs."

Phoebe just beamed, and waited for him to take a bite. Like every year, he moaned happily as he chewed.

"How do you make them taste so good?" he asked, through a mouthful.

Phoebe laughed, "It's a secret."

"I've said it before, and I'll say it again: I envy your future husband. Your cooking is always so amazing!" said Matt.

"Well, that's because after the Peeps lost the magic well, I made a wish that everything I cooked would taste amazing," she joked.

Matt took another bite, "You watch The 10th Kingdom way too much."

Phoebe shook her head, "Never."

As the two ate their sandwiches, Phoebe's phone notified her of a text message. It was from Stefan.

Matt perked up, while she read it, "Whatever it is, no."

"What?"

"Damon can wait. You're spending time with your best friend for his belated birthday," he explained.

"Matthew Donovan, are you trying to manipulate me into staying?" Phoebe teased.

"If that's what it takes," he joked back. "I haven't seen you much the past couple of weeks. I miss you."

"Ha-ha! Now you know how it felt the first couple of weeks you were dating Caroline," said Phoebe.

"Yeah, but Damon was taking up a lot of your time, before you two were dating," said Matt.

Phoebe furrowed her eyebrows, "Damon and I aren't dating."

Matt gave her a look, "There's no point in denying it, Phoebe. I saw you two kiss after the parade. Hell, the photographer for the yearbook club shot a picture of it."

"Son of a monkey's uncle," Phoebe mumbled. Matt laughed at her. "Matt, we're not dating. In fact we are far from it."

Matt got serious, "What happened? Did he hurt you?"

Phoebe held up her hands, "No, he…do you remember that ex of his I told you about once?"

"The one he loved for most of his life that never loved him back?" Matt asked.

"Yes, that one. Well, she recently showed up, briefly, just to toy with him. She got under his skin, and really messed with him," Phoebe explained.

"So he's not really in a good place for dating right now," Matt guessed. Phoebe nodded. "I'm real sorry, Pheebs. I know you really liked him."

Phoebe forced a small smile, and shrugged. She was about to say something, when her phone went off again. This time it was Damon, wanting to know if she got Stefan's text.

"Go," said Matt.

"What?"

"Go. He needs you right now more than I do," said Matt. "You made me Monte Cristos, you sang, you spent a little time with me…I'm happy."

Phoebe smiled, "Okay. But before I go…"

Matt watched her walk over to her purse, pull out a small present, and give it to him. He took off the bow, and stuck it to Phoebe's head, then tore off the wrapping paper – or rather newspaper comics, which was what Phoebe always wrapped birthday presents in. Last, he opened the box to find a wideband leather bracelet. There was a metal strip being held onto the bracelet that had three crosses engraved on it. Tucked underneath the metal strip – where even Matt couldn't tell there was anything – was a vial of vervain.

"Thank you, Pheebs, I love it," said Matt, engulfing her in a hug.

"You're welcome," she replied, hugging him back.

When Matt released her, she helped him put the bracelet on, and then packed up some of the Monte Cristo sandwiches – she'd made a lot – to take with her. She also texted Stefan back to tell her she was on her way. She then left Matt's and headed for the Salvatore Boarding house. When Phoebe got there, Rick was just arriving, too.

"Thanks for comin'," Damon greeted, answering the door. "Rick, can I get you something to drink? Coffee? Bourbon? Bourbon in your coffee?"

Rick didn't say anything. He just walked passed Damon, into the living room, where Stefan and Elena were waiting.

Phoebe, on the other hand, stopped inside the door, and commented, "Actually, I'd loved a cup of coffee. Thank you so much for asking, Damon."

Damon gave her a sarcastic smile, and handed her a cup of coffee that he had carried with him to the door, "I don't need to offer you a cup of coffee, Phoebe; because I already know you want one."

Phoebe stared at him, as she sipped the coffee. Damon stared back, waiting for her to say something. Phoebe twitched her nose, and headed for the living room.

"What's in the basket, little red?" Damon joked.

"Monte Cristos," Phoebe answered.

Elena gasped, excitedly, and looked up at her sister. Phoebe took one out of the container, and handed it to her sister. She offered one to Stefan, but he declined.

"Trust me, Stefan, you're gonna want one," Elena told him. Stefan then caved, and accepted one.

Rick took one, just to avoid seeming rude; and Damon was genuinely curious to see what had Elena so eager for one. Phoebe put the container down on the coffee table, and sat down next to Rick, while everyone took a bite of their sandwich. The room was filled with moans.

"Oh, my god," said Stefan, surprised. Elena gave him an 'I told you so' look.

"Wow," said Rick.

"Where did you learn to cook like this, France?" Damon joked.

"No, my uncle," Phoebe answered.

Damon shrugged, taking another bite, "Who knew John could cook."

"No, not John. Grayson," Phoebe corrected.

Elena gave her sister a funny look, "Since when did you start calling dad 'Uncle Grayson'?"

"Since it was confirmed that Uncle John is actually our dad," Phoebe answered. Phoebe could tell her sister didn't like this, so she added, "You don't have to call him dad, if you don't want to, but I am."

Elena gave a reluctant nod.

Rick cleared his throat, "So Elena mentioned you needed my help."

"Yeah," Stefan confirmed, finishing his sandwich. "We were, uh, hoping you could help shed some light on the Lockwood family."

"Why would I know anything about the Lockwoods?" Rick asked.

"Well, you wouldn't," said Damon, through a mouthful of Monte Cristo. "But your dead – not dead vampire wife might."

"Isobel's research, from when you guys were at Duke together," Elena clarified.

"You said that she had spent years researching this town," Stefan added.

"Isobel's research here – Mystic Falls – was rooted in folklore and legend. At the time, I though most of which was fiction," replied Rick.

"Like that amazing vampire story," Damon joked, with his usual excited facial expressions.

Phoebe wanted to laugh so badly, but fought it back. Clearing her throat, she asked, "Why do you suspect the Lockwoods?"

"Because vervain didn't affect the Mayor on Founders' Day, but the Gilbert device did. And it affected his son Tyler," Damon answered.

"And at the school carnival, his uncle Mason exhibited inhuman behavior when fought one of the carnival workers. It suggested some sort of a supernatural entity," Stefan added. That got the gears turning for Phoebe.

"We were hoping that Isobel's research could help us figure out what it is," said Elena.

"Well, all of her things are still at Duke. I mean, her office is still there. She's technically still missing," said Rick.

Phoebe's head dropped back against the back of the couch, as she let out a groan.

"What?" Damon asked.

"Son of a monkey's uncle…," Phoebe mumbled.

"Do you ever swear?" Damon asked.

"When it's appropriate," Phoebe replied. "I know what they are."

Everyone perked up, and waited for her to tell them. She didn't.

"Are you gonna share?" Damon asked.

Phoebe looked at him, and then everyone else, "Okay, Elena I get not knowing – no offense – but the rest of you?"

They all shrugged, and shook their heads.

Phoebe looked at the brothers, "Are you telling me that in all your time, you've never come across a lycanthrope?"

Stefan and Damon exchanged looks.

"Wait. Like werewolves?" Elena asked.

"No, not _like_ werewolves. Werewolves," Phoebe corrected. Elena narrowed her eyes at her sister.

"No way. Impossible. Way too Lon Chaney," said Damon.

"Love the reference, but it's more than possible, Damon," said Phoebe.

"I've been on this planet 160-some odd years," Damon began.

"171 in June," Phoebe corrected, absentmindedly.

Damon – and everyone else – looked at Phoebe, "How do you know when I was born?"

Phoebe got shifty-eyed, "…I might've read it somewhere…you were saying?"

Damon continued to stared at her a moment or two, as he continued, "Anyway, I've never come across one. If werewolves exist, where the hell are they?"

"Maybe they're just rare? Or know how to hide?" Phoebe suggested. Damon looked un-accepting of those possibilities. "Just because you've never seen one doesn't mean they don't exist. I mean, look around you. We've got vampires, witches, and doppelgangers, Damon. There's no way we're the only supernatural creatures to exist. Besides, there's that whole balance thing."

"What balance thing?" asked Elena.

"It's in just about every myth. Vampires and werewolves are – in essence – two sides of the same coin. Vampires are vulnerable to the sun, and werewolves are slaves to the moon. Two exceedingly dangerous predators, held only in control by two reoccurring celestial bodies," Phoebe explained.

Everyone was silent for a few moments, before Damon broke the silence, "Admit it. You run Google, don't you?"

Phoebe couldn't help but let out a snort of laughter.

Damon smiled at his success to get her to laugh at him, and then turned to Rick, "Rick, we need to know what we're dealing with. If this wolf man thing is true, I've seen enough movies to know it's not good. It means that Mason Lockwood is a real-life Lon Chaney, and that little Tyler punk may just very well be Lon Chaney Jr. Which means Bela Lugosi – meaning me – is totally screwed."

"I'm suddenly in the mood for a classic monster movie marathon," Phoebe muttered. She took in a deep breath, and added, "Okay. Rick, you and I can go to Duke and look through Isobel's research; while the rest of you stay here and help Caroline with her transition…On second thought, Damon, you come with us."

"I knew you couldn't stay mad at me," Damon beamed.

"Oh, make no mistake, I am still very much angry with you," Phoebe replied, giving him a very serious look. "But I don't trust you here with Caroline."

"Fair enough," Damon admitted. He didn't really care what the reason was; he just wanted to go on that road trip with Phoebe. Road trips had been very good for them in the past, and hopefully this one would end up the same way.

Phoebe got to her feet, and headed for the door.

"Where are you going?" Elena asked.

"To pack," Phoebe answered. "We are going to Duke, right?"

"Well, yeah, but we can go tomorrow. That'll give us the time to tell everyone where we're goin' and give me the chance to call Duke and let them know we're coming," replied Rick.

"Well, you better get on the phone and start calling now, because we need to go today," said Phoebe.

"What's the rush?" Stefan asked.

Phoebe looked around at the clueless faces, hoping to see someone else catching on; but as usual, no one was. "Seriously? Do none of you look at a calendar, or read the newspaper?"

Rick caught on, "Tonight's the full moon."

Phoebe pressed a finger to her nose, and pointed to Rick with her other hand, "Yes!"

"I'll call Duke," said Rick, getting to his feet. He headed for the door, following Phoebe out.

Meanwhile, at Caroline's, Matt swings by to see Caroline. Unfortunately, she can't answer the door, because of the sun. Matt calls her on her phone, but she doesn't answer that either, so he leaves a voicemail. He tells her that Phoebe's gonna be busy with Damon today, so he thought they could make up for missing his birthday by spending the day together. He asks her to call him back when she gets the chance, and leaves.

Over at the Gilbert House, Phoebe gets packed for the road trip, while she fills Jeremy and Anna in on the earlier conversation about the Lockwoods.

"Werewolves. Cool," said Jeremy, giving his sister a taunting smile.

Phoebe made a face at her brother, as she packed up her nebulizer.

Anna noticed the exchange of looks, "What are the looks for? What am I missing?"

"Phoebe hates werewolves," Jeremy answered. "She's scared to death of them. And clowns."

"Okay, first of all, clowns are way worse. And werewolves are only petrifying when they look like the one from _American Werewolf in London_ ," Phoebe corrected.

"Wasn't that like the '80s?" Anna asked. "Wouldn't it have looked all cheesy?"

Phoebe continued packing, while Jeremy Googled the werewolf from that movie on his phone to show Anna. She looked at a few of the pictures, before admitting, "Okay, I take it back. That one is kinda freaky."

Phoebe looked up from packing, "Thank you! See, Jer, even a real-life vampire can admit that thing is scary."

Jeremy continued to look at his phone, and smile. Phoebe's phone went off with a text message. When she opened it, it was a picture of the werewolf, from Jeremy.

"Oh, that's it," said Phoebe, running after him. Jeremy ran for his life, laughing all the while. He ran downstairs, where Phoebe wasn't ready to go, because she still had packing to do; so she walked back into her room, after calling down, "I'll get you later, Jeremy! Don't think I won't!"

Anna laughed a little bit, before changing the subject, "Are you sure about this road trip with Damon? I mean, Jeremy and I could go with Rick instead."

"I appreciate the offer, but I have to go. We all know I'm the best person for the job of sifting through a ton of research, and making sense of it," Phoebe replied. "Besides, I need to go on this trip with him. I need to know if I can let him back in, after what he did. I mean, yes, I'm furious with him for killing Jeremy – or trying to – but…"

"You still love him," Anna finished for her.

"Does that make me a bad sister?" Phoebe asked.

"Well, I'm an only child, so I don't think I'm the best person to ask," said Anna. "But speaking as someone who fell in love with the boy she was supposed to sacrifice to her mother…I can say for certain that you don't choose who you fall in love with. And you don't just choose to stop loving them."

"But he killed my brother right in front of me. I should hate him for the rest of my life," Phoebe argued.

"Forgiving Damon for what he did doesn't mean you love Jeremy any less. And it doesn't mean you love Damon more than Jeremy. It just means that what you feel for Damon is so strong, that you don't wanna lose it," said Anna. "I mean, just look at Jeremy. He forgave me for trying to feed him to my mom, and for using you and Elena as hostages. He even forgave me for feeding Elena to my mom. So did you."

"That was different. Damon didn't care if Jeremy was really dead or not. He didn't even know he was wearing the ring," Phoebe argued.

"And I didn't care if I had to kill you to prove to the Salvatores I was serious about getting what I wanted from them. Why do you think I took you both?" Anna countered. Phoebe thought about that. "Look, Phoebe, all I'm saying is if you find you do still love him and you want to let him back in, Jeremy will be okay with it. Maybe not right away, because – let's face it – you're the only one that even likes Damon. But once I explain things to him the way I just did for you, he'll come around. I know he will. So don't worry about what he, or Elena, or anyone else will think of you for forgiving him. Just focus on whether or not you want to forgive him for you."

"Okay, it's official. I like you," said Phoebe.

The two girls shared a laugh, and then Anna asked, "Can I ask you a personal question?"

Phoebe nodded.

"What happened before Jeremy and I got there? What made you so wanna kick him out?"

Phoebe took a deep breath, "When he got there I could tell he was upset and drunk. That combined with Katherine's return made it obvious that she had gotten under his skin somehow. But he didn't wanna talk about it. He kissed me, and then I saw…never mind…"

"You saw what happened with Katherine?" Anna guessed.

"What? How did you…?"

Anna laughed, "Don't worry, you can't read minds, Phoebe. Vampires can share memories with other people. He just probably showed you on accident. That or he was thinking about it and you somehow tapped into his thoughts with that weird little power thing you've got. What's with that, anyway?"

"Oh, thank the goddess. If you were gonna tell me I was telepathic, I was gonna lose what little sanity I have left," said Phoebe, relieved. "As for the weird power thing I've got, I have no idea. I just recently noticed it. But I'm hoping Isobel's research will have some kind of explanation for it."

A horn honked downstairs.

"Damon and Rick must be here," Phoebe noted, grabbing her bags – and Marvin. "Thanks for the talk, Anna."

"Anytime. Good luck with Damon," Anna replied, following her downstairs.

When they got downstairs, Rick was talking to Jenna – feeding her the story that Phoebe was gonna help him pack up some of Isobel's things at Duke. When asked why Elena wasn't going – when she was the one that was actually interested in getting to know her birth parents – the story was that Caroline was going through a hard time right now, and she wanted to be there for her friend more than exploring who her mother was. That and Phoebe could bring some things back for her to look through.

As Phoebe approached the car, Damon – who was standing next to the car, waiting – took notice of her shirt, and rolled his eyes playfully. She had changed into a black t-shirt with a collage of the classic monsters printed on to it. Phoebe saw his eye roll and smiled to herself. When he opened the backseat door for her, Damon commented, "I see this has turned into a four man trip."

Phoebe looked over at Marvin, sitting in the middle seat, while she tossed her bags in.

"How's it goin', Marvin?" Damon asked.

"Marvin isn't talking to you. He doesn't like you," said Phoebe, getting situated. She put on a pair of prescription sunglasses, and put her regular glasses in a glass case.

"Well, that's just untrue. Marvin loves me," Damon argued.

"The first time you met him you basically told him he should be a teddy-bear, then you cut him open to hide the Gilbert device in him, then you suggested that he should oink – when he's far too sophisticated to go 'oink oink'. Shall I go on?" Phoebe argued back.

"Well, if you're gonna nitpick," Damon replied, closing her door. He hopped into the passenger seat, and Rick returned to the driver seat.

Phoebe smirked, as she took out her phone and called John to tell him where they were going. Meanwhile, at the Lockwood's, Tyler asks his mom about the old Lockwood property in the woods. He asks her about the cellar with the gates. She tells him it was the old slave quarters, and it's kind of a taboo thing to talk about.

Later at the Grill, Stefan and Anna talk to Bonnie about making Caroline a daylight ring. Bonnie isn't on board with the idea, since she's already killed someone. Stefan and Anna explain that making her a daylight ring will help her remain connected to her human life – like her friends, school, Matt – which will help her hold onto her humanity and not kill people. Bonnie reluctantly agrees to make her a ring, and the trio set out to get a lapis lazuli ring for her to enchant.

Meanwhile, in Rick's car, Damon keeps sneaking glances at Phoebe. Phoebe wasn't wearing her seatbelt – which she only wore when she was sitting in the front seat – and she was sitting long ways across the backseat. Her legs stretched out across the seat, with Marvin in her lap, and her headphones on. She was also doodling in her sketchbook.

Damon reached back and brushed her leg to get her attention. Both Damon and Phoebe got chills from the contact, as silly as it sounds. Even though it was a simple brush for attention – nothing lingering or inappropriate – it was still a tingling sensation for them both. To Damon her legs felt soft and smooth, like the rest of her skin – which he missed being able to touch. As for Phoebe, she had to fight her instinct to grab his hand and hold it in hers. She too missed him being able to touch her.

"How you doin' back there?" Damon asked, after she removed an ear bud.

"Leave her alone," said Rick.

"You know this whole pretending to hate me thing is getting a little silly," said Damon.

Rick laughed, "I don't think she's pretending. You did kill her brother."

"There is a huge asterisk next to that statement," Damon pointed out. "He came back to life."

"Yeah, thanks to a ring that you didn't know he was wearing," said Phoebe, still doodling.

"Why are you so sure I didn't know?" Damon asked.

Phoebe looked at him, "Did you?"

Damon looked back at her, "Yes."

Phoebe narrowed her eyes, "You're lying."

"Phoebe, I saw the ring. It's a big tacky thing. It's hard to miss," Damon defended.

Phoebe put her headphone back in, and went back to her doodle. Over at Caroline's Bonnie makes her a daylight ring. Caroline doesn't like the ring very much, but accepts it anyway. After enchanting it, Bonnie tells Caroline that she's gonna have to prove to her that she's still the old Caroline, and leaves. Stefan and Anna then take Caroline out to show her how to hunt.

Later, the trio arrive at Duke. Damon gets out to open Phoebe's door for her – like he always does – and holds the door for her when they're entering the building.

"So Isobel was officially employed by the Anthropology department given that most paranormal phenomena is rooted in folklore," Rick informed, as they entered the building. Once inside, Rick asked Isobel's research assistant to show them to Isobel's research. She did, making light conversation, before disappearing.

As the trio dive into Isobel's research, Damon notices her absence, "Where'd she go?"

Phoebe turned back to the door, and saw Vanessa – Isobel's assistant – standing in the doorway aiming a crossbow at her. Phoebe gasped, and Damon flitted over to her, taking the arrow in the back. Rick ran over to Vanessa, and took the crossbow away from her, then took her out of the room. Meanwhile, Phoebe helped Damon over to the desk so he could brace himself against it. Damon leaned there waiting for Phoebe to pull the arrow out, but she never did.

"Pull it out," he sighed. "I can't reach it, Phoebe. Just pull the damn thing out. It hurts."

While he spoke, Phoebe, nervously, reached out to grab the arrow.

" _If you can snap someone's neck, you can pull an arrow out of someone's back,"_ Phoebe told herself, mentally. She took a deep breath, and yanked the arrow out.

Damon groaned a little, and then shook off the feeling, "That bitch is dead."

"Uh, no. You're not gonna kill her," Phoebe told him.

Damon gave her a seductive look, "Watch me."

Phoebe blocked his path, "You touch her, and I swear I will _never_ speak to you again."

"What makes you think that has any power over me?" he asked, pretending the notion meant nothing to him. In truth, though, the mere thought terrified him. But he wasn't gonna back down now. Her behavior towards him since the hospital had been like it was at the beginning, so he was going to treat her the same way he used to. Keep her safe, but pretend she has no power over him.

Phoebe just stared him down, the way she used to.

"'Cause I took an arrow in the back for you?" Damon continued. He put a hand on her shoulder. "You are severely overestimating yourself."

Phoebe gave a fake laugh, as she brushed his hand off of her shoulder, "Oh, right. I forgot I was speaking to a psychotic mind that snaps and kills people impulsively. Fine. Go ahead. Do whatever you want."

Damon smiled down at her. He missed their banter. "You're tryin' to manipulate me."

"If by 'manipulate' you mean tell the truth, then yeah. Guilty," Phoebe replied. Damon said nothing in response. Phoebe moved closer and craned her neck upwards towards him, as she mimicked his smirk, "I'm not Katherine, Damon. I don't play games."

Meanwhile, Vanessa explains to Rick why she shot at Phoebe. She mistook her for Katherine, and – having read Isobel's research – freaked out about Katherine and Damon being alive. Rick assures her that it is possible for them to be alive, which she should know from reading Isobel's research.

Phoebe – followed by Damon – exits Isobel's office and walks over to Vanessa, "I'm Phoebe Gilbert. Isobel's daughter, and a descendant of Katherine Pierce. And this is Damon Salvatore, who you just shot. I'd be extra nice to him right now, if I were you."

Damon grinned.

"I know this is a lot to take in, but we kinda need you to absorb it all quickly, because we need your help. We need to see all of Isobel's research pertaining to Mystic Falls," Phoebe continued.

Meanwhile, in Mystic Falls, Anna and Stefan take Caroline hunting for bunnies. Anna had agreed to take her hunting for animals, rather than people, just to get her started. Later on she'd teach her how to feed from people, or get blood bags. While they're out in the woods, Caroline starts ranting about how she really wants to go the watering hole to be with Matt. Stefan and Anna laugh at her, and then explain to her how her personality has been amplified, now that she's a vampire. They also make a deal with her to take her to see Matt, after she catches a bunny to eat.

Back at Duke, Vanessa brings Phoebe a box that has vervain in it, and Phoebe hands her a few pieces.

"Does vervain really work?" Vanessa asked, quietly, accepting it.

"Nope! Not at all," answered Damon from the next room.

Phoebe fought a smile.

Vanessa leaned closer to Phoebe, and got quieter, "Can he hear us?"

"No! That would be creepy!" Damon whispered, loudly.

Phoebe's mouth involuntarily spread into a smile.

"Can he read minds, too?" Vanessa asked, jokingly.

Damon closed the book he was reading, and turned to face them, "You know, if you wanna see me naked all you have to do is ask."

Phoebe looked at Damon, "No. That he can't do."

Damon said nothing, as he turned back around.

"Creeper," Phoebe mumbled.

"You know, I can still hear you," Damon noted.

"I know!" Phoebe whispered, loudly.

Damon looked back at her, and saw her smirking to herself. He did the same, as he went back to work.

Meanwhile, at the watering hole in Mystic Falls, Tyler's party is in full swing. He asks Matt where Caroline is, which Matt explains that he doesn't know. Tyler jokes about the couple being on the outs already, as his uncle drives up. Mason tells Tyler to makes sure everyone's out of there by nightfall, because someone could get hurt trying to go swimming at night. Tyler agrees to move the party, later on.

Anna, Stefan, and Caroline arrive as Mason drives away. Caroline implies that Stefan is too serious, which Anna agrees. Caroline finds Matt talking to Amber Bradley. She compels Amber to go find someone single to bother, which bothers Matt. He tells her that she doesn't get to dodge his calls all day, and then show up here and play the jealous girlfriend.

Back at Duke, Phoebe continues to search through Isobel's research, growing more and more frustrated at the lack of relevant information.

"Any luck?" Damon asked, lurking behind her.

"There's nothing in here about Katherine that we don't already know," she replied, frustrated.

"Ah, man. You know, it's a bummer we're not friends anymore, because I could tell you what I know," Damon taunted.

Phoebe turned around to face him, "Now who's manipulating whom?"

"Hey, guys. Check this out," Rick called. Phoebe and Damon moved closer to the desk where Rick was sitting.

Vanessa handed them a book, "There's no record of werewolf mythology in Mystic Falls, but here are some records of some of the lesser known legends."

Phoebe flipped through it, while Damon read over her shoulder.

Vanessa said something in another language, before explaining, "Which roughly translates into 'The Curse of the Sun and the Moon'."

"It's Native American," Rick guessed.

"Aztec," Vanessa corrected. "It explains one origin of the werewolf curse, traced to Virginia. The short story - 600 years ago, the Aztecs were plagued by werewolves and vampires. They terrorized the countryside, made farming and hunting impossible. Until an Aztec Shaman cursed them, making vampires slaves to the sun and werewolves servants of the moon. As a result, vampires could only prowl at night, and werewolves could only turn on the full moon. When the full moon crests in the sky, whosever unlucky enough to fall under the werewolf curse turns into a wolf."

"Can they control the transformation?" Damon asked.

Phoebe looked up at him, "If it were a choice, it wouldn't be called a curse."

Damon made a face at her.

"Werewolves will attack humans, but instinct and centuries of rivalry have hardwired them to hunt their prey of choice," Vanessa went on.

"Vampires," Phoebe guessed. Vanessa nodded, and the two men exchanged nervous glances.

"Well...if werewolves were hunting vampires, I'd know about it," said Damon.

"Not if there aren't that many werewolves left alive," Phoebe replied.

"Exactly," Vanessa confirmed. "Hundreds of years ago, vampires hunted them almost to extinction."

"Why would they do that?" Rick asked.

"To protect themselves," Phoebe guessed. "They're probably faster and stronger than any vampire on a full moon."

"That's the theory. Mostly legend says that a werewolf bite is fatal to vampires," said Vanessa.

Damon looked very uncomfortable, as he walked out to call Stefan. While the brothers talk, Anna listens in with her vampire hearing. Meanwhile, Caroline takes Matt away for a bit of privacy. After getting off the phone with Damon, Anna and Stefan realize that Caroline and Matt are gone and go looking for them.

Meanwhile, Mason sets up for the full moon in the old cellar in the woods. While he sets up his chains and prepares, he hears Tyler bringing a girl down there, and is forced to leave.

Back at Duke, Phoebe decides to ask Vanessa about something besides werewolves.

"Hey, um...have you done any research on doppelgangers?" Phoebe asked. Damon's interest was piqued, and he leered over the book he was reading to eavesdrop.

"Well, the word means a lot of different things to different cultures. But typically a doppelganger is a living, breathing double of oneself," Vanessa answered, digging for something among the many papers. She gestured over to where Damon was, "That's all she had on Katherine, unfortunately."

Phoebe looked back where she was pointing, and Damon quickly looked away, pretending he wasn't eavesdropping. However, Phoebe could already tell that he was, so it did no good to try and hide it.

Vanessa continued to search for something, "But I can tell you that doppelgangers usually torment the people they look like. Trying to undo their lives. It's not exactly uplifting."

"And more things we already know," Phoebe mumbled. "I know that doppelgangers are nature's way of maintaining balance, but I don't know what she's trying to balance by making Elena and I look like Katherine."

"Head scratcher, isn't it?" Damon commented.

"Do you know something, or are you just being yourself?" Phoebe replied.

"Well, _if_ I know anything, I'm not gonna tell you," Damon told her moving closer to her. "Not with that attitude."

"This coming from someone who wants to be my friend, again. Friends don't manipulate friends, Damon, they help each other," Phoebe replied.

"Got it!" Vanessa announced, finding the file she was looking for. She handed it over to Phoebe, "That's all Isobel had on doppelgangers."

Phoebe took it and walked away from Damon, so he couldn't read over her shoulder. If it said the same thing that Esther had - which she hoped it didn't - she didn't want him reading it. She was lucky with the first few pages. She was even beginning to think that maybe the Esther woman had really been a figment of her imagination. Unfortunately, a turn of the page sent her dreams crashing down. There, on the page in front of her, was pretty much word for word what Esther had said to her when she died.

Damon, Rick, and Vanessa - all whom had been watching her read the file - noticed her tense up at the current page. Phoebe's entire body seemed to stiffen so much that she was barely breathing. And her grip tightened on the file so much, that the pages began to crinkle.

"Phoebe?" Rick called to her.

Phoebe didn't answer. She just continued to stare at the page in front of her. She heard Damon moving closer to her to see what was bothering her, and she snapped the file closed.

Damon stopped right next to her, "What is it? What'd it say?"

"Nothing useful," she lied.

"You seemed a little worked up for it to be nothing useful," Rick noted.

"I'm just frustrated that we came all this way to find nothing useful," Phoebe lied, again. She stormed out, file in hand, "I'm going out for air. All this dust is aggravating my lungs."

Damon followed her out, despite Rick's advice to leave her alone. Phoebe was almost to the car, when he got outside, "What's in the file?"

"I told you. Nothing," Phoebe replied, not looking back.

"Rick's right, Phoebe. The way you reacted to whatever it was that you read, was more than nothing. A lot more," Damon argued, catching up to her. "You're also still holding onto it, which means you just don't want us to know what you found."

"Leave me alone, Damon," Phoebe told him, annoyed.

"What's in the file, Phoebe?" he pressed.

Phoebe turned to face him, ripping the file apart in fistfuls.

"Phoebe, stop it!" Damon commanded, trying to stop her. She turned away from him, continuing to rip the file apart. Damon reached around from behind her, and grabbed her hands to stop her. She continued to try to destroy the file, but he was much stronger than her. As he held her hands, he mumbled in her ear, "Phoebe, stop. Just stop."

Phoebe dropped what was left of the file, and Damon turned her around to face him so he could ask her what was going on. Before he could get a word out, Phoebe began beating on his chest, crying out, "It's not fair! It's not fair! It's not fair! It's not fair..."

Damon waited for her to stop hitting him to ask, "What isn't fair? You're not making any sense."

Phoebe tried to answer, but couldn't. She was too upset to speak, or think. All she could do now was cry. Damon pulled her closer to hold her. Phoebe tightened her grip on Damon's shirt, as she sank to the ground, crying into his chest.

Rick and Vanessa had heard her screaming, and ran outside to find out what was going on. They saw Damon holding onto a hysterical Phoebe, and ran over. Vanessa saw the shreds of paper on the ground and knelt down to examine them.

"What did you do, Damon?" Rick asked.

"I didn't do anything, Rick" Damon answered.

"Yeah, then why is she so upset?" Rick asked him.

Damon explained what happened, while Vanessa found the page that upset Phoebe, "I think she might've read something she didn't like."

Rick and Damon looked over at her, and waited for her to explain.

Vanessa held some of the chunks of paper together, as she read, "Doppelgangers are Nature's way of maintaining balance. As such, Nature states that, should there be two of the same doppelganger born at the same time – in the form of twins, for example – then that would be a mistake. Nature would correct the mistake by getting rid of one of the doppelgangers, and prevent it from carrying on the doppelganger line. As a result, the mystical properties found in doppelganger blood would present itself in a different way, making them something that is not a doppelganger, but still supernatural."

"Now it makes sense," Damon noted. "Would you wanna be told you shouldn't exist?"

"But we don't even know this is true," Vanessa argued.

"Or if it's even her that shouldn't exist," Rick added. He saw Vanessa confusion and added, "She has a twin sister."

"But we do know, Rick," Damon argued. "Don't tell me you've never noticed her little mood control power. I'm feelin' it right now."

Rick thought back to the one time she used her power on him to calm him and Damon down, so they wouldn't fight.

"What I wanna know is, what's supposed to kill her?" Damon questioned.

Phoebe thought back to Esther: _"I did it so he could not tell the difference," said Esther. "So he would not know which of you was the doppelganger, and which one of you was not."_

"He," said Phoebe, pulling away from Damon.

"What?" Damon asked.

"He. Not what," Phoebe repeated. "She said she did it so _he_ couldn't tell the difference."

"Who? Who told you that?" Rick asked.

"The woman. I saw her while I was...dead. She came to me, and told me about not being the doppelganger. She said she made me and Elena twins, so _he_ couldn't tell the difference between us. So _he_ wouldn't know which of us was the doppelganger," Phoebe explained.

"Who's _he_?" Damon asked.

"She didn't say," Phoebe answered.

Meanwhile, back in Mystic Falls, Stefan and Anna are still searching for Caroline and Matt. While they search, they find they're being stalked by Mason in his wolf form, and pick up the pace to find Caroline and Matt.

Back at Duke, Phoebe's pulled herself together, and the trio pack up to head home. While Rick talks to Vanessa, Phoebe heads to the car. Damon unlocks the doors, and opens her's for her.

Phoebe headed into the car, but he blocked her, "You didn't dig deep enough."

Damon handed her an old book, and she read the spin, "Petrova? I saw this on the shelf."

"Katherine originally came from Europe. Petrova was her real name. Katharina Petrova, to be exact," Damon explained.

"How did you know that?" she asked.

"Back when, I saw it engraved on an old heirloom," he answered. Seeing her face he added, "Men snoop, too, ya know. Let me know what you find. I'm very curious myself."

She gave a small smile, and nodded. She tried getting into the car, but Damon, again, blocked her.

"You have every right to hate me. I understand. I felt it, when you were crying. As upset as you were, you still hated that I was the one holding you. But you hated me before and we became friends," said Damon. Phoebe didn't deny it. "It would suck if that was gone forever. So...is it? Have I lost you forever?"

"I don't know," Phoebe replied. "Thanks for the book, Damon."

Back in Mystic Falls, Caroline and Matt find a spot to make out. Caroline gets aggressive, and Matt cuts himself on a branch. Caroline loses control, and begins feeding on him. Thankfully, Stefan and Anna arrive in time to save him. Stefan pulls Caroline away to get her to back down, while Anna heals Matt. She tries compelling him not to be scared, but it doesn't work. She remembers Phoebe telling her about the new vervain bracelet she was going to be giving him, and saw it on his wrist. Unfortunately, before she can remove it to compel him, Mason catches up to them.

Anna knocks Matt out, and throws him over her shoulder. She, Stefan, and Caroline take off running away from Mason. They stop next to the old Lockwood ruins, because Caroline wants to know what they're running from. As Stefan explains, Tyler emerges from the old cellar to ask them what they're doing. The brief distraction gives Mason time to catch up, and attack Caroline. He knocks her to the ground, where the two wrestle. Stefan knocks Mason off of Caroline, and Tyler screams at Mason, "No!"

Mason takes off, confusing the others. They all get out of the woods, and Anna compels Matt to forget about Caroline attacking him. Stefan and Caroline talk about what happened with Matt, and whether or not she should stop seeing him for his own safety. Stefan tells her he can't make that decision for her, and he's not the right person to ask; because he should've walked away from Elena a long time ago, but can't. Anna returns to the conversation, and tells Caroline that even though he has a bracelet from Phoebe, they should start feeding him vervain. That'll keep Caroline from being able to feed on him, or any other vampire.

Back in the woods, Tyler finds Mason's truck. It's all beat up from his transformation inside it, and his chains are lying next to it, because he didn't have time to chain himself up. Mason appears behind him, covered in dirt, requesting he toss him his pants.

After Anna and Stefan leave, Caroline approaches Matt - who's talking to Amber Bradley again - and pulls the jealous girlfriend routine, again. This time, though, it's on purpose. She wants to push Matt away for his own good. Her plan works, and Matt breaks up with her, because he doesn't want to deal with her over jealous drama.

Meanwhile, at the Gilbert house, Rick heads inside first to see Jenna - more rather, kiss her. Back out on the porch, Damon helps Phoebe carry her stuff back up to the house.

"Road trips work well for us," Damon commented.

"This doesn't mean that things are back to the way they used to be, Damon," Phoebe told him.

"Oh, come on. You know I chipped a little bit off of your wall of hatred," he joked.

Phoebe stopped and turned to face him, "I need to know the truth. When you broke Jeremy's neck, did you know that he was wearing the ring?"

Damon put down her bag containing her nebulizer, and took her hand.

"What are you doing?" she asked, confused.

"I want you to use that little superpower of yours to feel that I'm telling you the truth, when I say...I knew Jeremy was wearing the ring," said Damon.

Phoebe stared at him, trying to read him.

"You told me earlier that day that John was gonna give his ring to Jeremy, while he was in the hospital," he went on.

"That doesn't mean you knew he was wearing it," Phoebe argued.

"Phoebe...Yes, I was pissed off at Katherine. Yes, I was drunk. Yes, I was annoyed that your little brother and his girlfriend wouldn't stop telling me to leave. Yes, I selfishly just wanted to be comforted by my best friend, after having been hurt by my ex," he admitted. "But through all of that, I swear to you, I made sure he was wearing that gotti little ring before snapping his neck."

"I believe you," said Phoebe, after a moment. "But you still let Katherine win."

Damon looked confused.

"Why do you think she was so desperate to hurt you? She knew this would happen. She knew you'd get so upset that you'd snap and do something stupid to tear us apart," Phoebe explained.

A light bulb went off for Damon, "Phoebe, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I wasn't strong enough to resist her. I'm sorry I let her get under my skin. And I'm sorry I took it out on Jeremy."

Phoebe - still holding his hand - squeezed his hand in hers, and gave him a small smile, "Apology accepted."

Damon looked as though he were about to jump up and down with excitement.

"But," Phoebe began, stopping whatever outburst she was sure was coming. "We can't go back to the way things were, Damon. I mean, look at it from Jeremy's perspective. If I go around defending you for killing my own brother, when it just happened a few days ago, what does that say to him? That tells him my relationship with you means more to me than his life, and that's just not true. I care about you, Damon. That should be obvious by now, especially after I died to save you."

"I'm never gonna hear the end of that one, am I?" he joked.

Phoebe smiled, "Probably not."

Damon smiled back, "So what do you suggest we do?"

"Start over. I mean, I've never really believed you can start over, but in a way we already have," she replied. "You've done something to make you the antagonist of the story, again, where even the one person on your side doesn't like you much right now. We've gone back to our banter, and subtle flirtations. And Katherine's returned to the story, proving you still feel something for her."

Damon opened his mouth to object to that last, but Phoebe cut him off, "I know you wanna deny it, and you are on your way to letting go of her; but what I saw and felt tells me there's still something inside of you that feels for her. And that's okay, Damon. You've spent the last 150 years loving her, that's not just gonna go away overnight. Just like this can't be mended over night. But knowing that you really did know he was wearing the ring, and hearing you finally apologize...it's a start."

Damon looked at the ground, and smirked, "I'll do whatever it takes, Phoebe. To get over Katherine entirely, so she can't manipulate me anymore. To become the protagonist of the story, instead of the antagonist. To prove to you that I'll never hurt you like that again. To win you back."

"Don't do it for me, Damon. Do those things for yourself. Because you want to change. Not because some girl wants you to," said Phoebe.

Damon looked her in the eye, "I want you in my life. I need you in my life, Phoebe. I'll do whatever it takes to keep you in it."

Phoebe smiled awkwardly, and stepped closer to him. She stood on her tip-toes, and kissed him on the cheek, lingering for a moment. She backed away, and looked up at him, "Goodnight, Damon."

"Goodnight, Phoebe," he replied, watching her disappear inside the house.

The next morning, at Caroline's house, Caroline woke up to Katherine hovering over her. Caroline recoiled away from her in fear.

"Don't be frightened. We're going to have so much fun together," said Katherine, with a malicious smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, there you have it, guys! Now that they know someone's coming for the doppelganger, will they be more prepared? Or will they be too distracted with trying to figure Katherine out? Will they focus more on protecting Elena, since she's the doppelganger? Or will they be equally protective - if not more - since it's written that Phoebe's supposed to be "gotten rid of" by someone? Will they assume the 'He' they need to worry about is Elijah? How will Phoebe deal with the werewolves? Will she still be scared of them? Or will she be okay, since they aren't scary-looking?
> 
> Let me know what you guys think so far, and what you think will happen. Just posing questions helps get the gears turning with possibilities.


	26. Memory Lane

Chapter 26: Memory Lane

On the same morning Caroline wakes up to find Katherine in her bedroom, Stefan dreams of the night he escorted Katherine to the Founders' Ball in 1864. Only, this time, things don't go exactly the same way as before. In his dream, he's dancing with Katherine, while Damon watches them with jealous eyes from the side.

"My brother's still upset that you chose me to escort you," said Stefan.

"Well, Damon needs to conceed that his younger brother is a better dancer," Katherine replied. She glanced over at Damon, and commented, "Huh. Looks like he's found someone to occupy his time."

Stefan looked over at his brother to see him with...Phoebe? Or was it Elena? Stefan couldn't tell. The girl possessed qualities of both twins. She had Phoebe's glasses and wavy hair, but her clothes were something that Elena - not Phoebe - would wear. The girl also wore make up, and jewelry, and her hair was actually fixed.

Damon escorted the strange girl out of the Lockwood Mansion, and Stefan followed - despite Katherine's please for him not to. The moment they stepped through the front door, the were in the Grill during the present day. Stefan looked around and saw the girl standing by the pool table.

"My turn," she said. Stefan assumed she was talking to him, until he saw Damon walk into view.

"You're still gonna lose," Damon teased. He kissed the girl lovingly on the lips, and then positioned himself behind her to help her fix her shot. The girl giggled, as Damon kissed her on the cheek. The pair seemed genuinely happy together.

Stefan turned to Katherine - who had followed him into the modern part of the dream - and asked her about the girl, "Who is that? Why does she look like Phoebe and Elena put together?"

"She's the doppelganger. She's what would be here now, if Phoebe and Elena hadn't separated into twins," Katherine answered.

"Why is she with Damon?" Stefan asked.

"Because the part of Phoebe that has the ability to love Damon - even through all the things he's done - is too strong. Whether she's her own person, or she and Elena are one, she will always find her way to Damon. She will always be drawn to him, and she will always love him. Just like us, Stefan," Katherine explained. Stefan didn't want to believe it. It was impossible. If Elena was one with Phoebe, she would never be with Damon. Katherine reached up and turned Stefan's face to her, "I love you, Stefan. And we can be together again."

Stefan woke up from his horribly, disturbing dream, holding Katherine in his arms. Assuming she was Elena, he pulled her closer, to comfort himself. However, he soon realized that she wasn't Elena, because Elena hadn't spent the night last night. That, combined with the dream he had just had, meant she was Katherine. Stefan flitted out of the bed, and across the room. He asks her what she's doing there, but Katherine maintains that she's come back for him.

Meanwhile, at the Grill, Phoebe and Matt have breakfast together. Matt tells her about his break up with Caroline, and Phoebe listens.

"I don't know what got into her," said Matt. "She'd been doing great with the whole jealousy thing, before the hospital. She was even getting okay with you. Now, all the sudden, she's jealous of anyone who talks to me; but she doesn't want to be around me."

"I don't know what to tell you, Matt. She went through something life-changing in the hospital," Phoebe replied. "She just needs some time to adjust. Maybe she'll come back to one, once she's done that. I mean, I'm not saying wait around for her, or anything; but take some comfort in the possibility."

Matt nodded thoughtfully, "Thank's, Phoebe."

Phoebe shrugged, "What are best friends for?"

Matt smiled, and changed the topic, "So how are things with you and Damon?"

"We're still friends, if that's what you're asking," Phoebe replied.

"Not exactly, but it's okay," he told her.

Now Phoebe changed the topic, "So you coming to Jenna's barbeque?"

"I don't know. I don't really wanna see Caroline, right now," said Matt.

"She isn't coming. Her and Elena are gonna go shopping, or something. Something girly," said Phoebe.

Matt chuckled a little, "Okay, then I guess I'm coming."

"Good! I need your help with something," said Phoebe, excitedly.

Matt gave her a nervous look, "What is it?"

"You'll see when we get there," said Phoebe.

Matt's smile grew, and he shook his head, "If you say so. I'm gonna go check my schedule, then we can go."

"Okay."

It hadn't been five seconds, since Matt walked away, before Phoebe felt someone standing behind her. She didn't physically feel someone there, but she got that feeling you get when you feel like you're being watched.

"Have a seat, Damon," Phoebe said, indicating to an empty chair.

"It's getting harder to sneak up on you," said Damon, sitting down. "How did you know it was me?"

"I can smell your aftershave," she answered.

Damon furrowed his eyebrows, "Hmm. So what do you need Donovan's help with?"

Now Phoebe furrowed her eyebrows, "You know, before you came to town I used to have these things called private conversations."

"What can I say? I'm a curious guy," he replied, shrugging.

"No, you're the little old lady that eavesdrops on everyone's private conversations, takes things out of context, and then starts spreading gossip," Phoebe corrected.

Damon rolled his eyes, "So why wasn't I invited to Jenna's little barbeque?"

"Damon Salvatore needs no invitation. Damon Salvatore does whatever the frak he wants," Phoebe replied, in a narrator voice. Damon gave her look. "Rick already told me you were coming. He told me the whole thing was your idea, because you wanted to get to know Mason Lockwood."

"Did Rick tell you that, or did you figure it out?" Damon asked, skeptically.

"Well, let's see. Random barbeque at our place, with Mason. You being invited, despite the fact that Jenna doesn't like you. Kinda easy to figure out that it was some kind of scheme of yours," Phoebe answered.

"Wait, why doesn't Jenna like me? What did you tell her?"

"I didn't tell her anything. She can just tell something's up with us," said Phoebe. "That's how family works. You don't have to tell them when something's wrong, because they can already tell."

"Hmm. Maybe I can get a peach cobbler to bring, as a peace offering," Damon mumbled to himself.

Phoebe shook her head, standing up, "I thought people in your day made things like that from scratch to give to their host, as a courtesy. Buying a premade one is just insulting. It says you couldn't take the time to make one yourself."

Damon stood up, too, and looked down at her, "Actually, Phoebe, that was the woman's job, not the man's. A woman's place was in the kitchen and raising the children. The man's place was fighting in battles, and making money."

Phoebe didn't say anything. She just stared up at him, until Matt returned - which wasn't much later.

"Damon. What are you doing here?" asked Matt.

"He's picking up a peach cobbler to bring to Jenna's barbeque," Phoebe answered.

"Oh, so you're coming, too?" Matt asked.

"Yep," replied Damon, still staring at Phoebe.

"Cool. So, uh, I guess we'll see you there," said Matt.

"I guess you will," said Damon.

"Don't worry, we won't see much of him," said Phoebe. Both boys looked at her confused, but Phoebe didn't explain. She grabbed Matt, and headed for the door.

Meanwhile, at the Lockwoods, Mason is on his way out the door, when Tyler stops him. He wants to know how he can turn into a wolf, and if it'll happen to him. Mason brushes it off as nothing, but assures him that it won't happen to Tyler, because he won't trigger the curse. Tyler wants to know what the trigger is, but Mason won't tell him.

Over at the Boarding House, Katherine sits in the living room reading one of Stefan's journals. Stefan takes it from her, and hands her a glass of blood. Katherine mentions reading about his recent werewolf sighting, and begins telling him about the werewolves in the Lockwood family. She tells him that back in 1864, at the Founders' Ball, Henry told her about a werewolf attack nearby. She then explains that the werewolf gene runs in the Lockwood family, but they aren't all wolves. There are also other wolves around the world, but not many. They were hunted almost to extinction.

Katherine declares that it's her turn to ask a question now, and asks Stefan why he kept the old photo of her. Stefan doesn't answer. Katherine theorizes that he didn't come back for Elena, but to fall in love with her all over again. Stefan hesitates, before flitting closer to her and touching her face. He asks her, in a soft voice, what it is about her that makes him still care. Katherine is drawn in by him, giving him the opportunity to stab her with a vervain tranquilizer. Stefan then took out his phone and sent a text to Phoebe to keep Elena distracted somehow, while he interrogated Katherine.

Meanwhile, Matt and Phoebe arrive at the Gilbert House. Phoebe tells Matt to make himself comfortable, while she heads upstairs to talk to her sister.

"We need to talk," said Phoebe, entering her sister's room. She shut the door behind her.

"What happened?" Elena asked, somewhat alarmed.

"You and Caroline are gonna have to go out for the day," said Phoebe.

Elena blinked, "What? Why?"

"Damon's planning on doing something to Mason to prove he's a werewolf, so I need to be here to keep in check, so to speak. And since I need Matt's help with something, I need him here, too," Phoebe answered.

"Well, Stefan's coming, so he can keep an eye on Damon," Elena argued.

Phoebe thought back to Stefan's text, and struggled to come up with a logical reason to get her to leave for the day. If she were here waiting for Stefan, she'd constantly wonder why he wasn't there yet, and wonder what was wrong. She might even, eventually, go over there to find out what was keeping him.

"Caroline's your typical twenty-first century girl. She doesn't need to be around a bunch of adults reliving their teens, while she's going through a break up. She needs retail therapy," Phoebe countered. "She also doesn't need to be around you and Stefan, being all happy and couple-like when she can't be that way with Matt anymore. You'd basically be rubbing her face in it."

Elena considered her sister's words. She was right. She wouldn't be a very good friend if she invited Caroline over to hang out with a bunch of adults talking about what they were like in high school, and flaunting her relationship with Stefan in front of her.

"You're right," Elena sighed. "I guess I'll call Caroline, and see if she wants to go shopping, or something; then let Stefan know."

Phoebe nodded, and left her to it. She smiled triumphantly, as she texted Stefan back. She told him she'd convinced Elena to take Caroline out for the day, and wouldn't be expecting him to join them.

"What are you so happy about?" Jeremy asked, coming out of his room.

Phoebe looked up from her phone, with a deer-in-the-headlights expression, "Nothing. Can I borrow your TV for the day?"

Jeremy looked at his sister confusedly, "For what?"

"You remember that Wii Fit game Jenna got a while back?" Phoebe asked.

"You mean the one she played like twice, and then put away?"

"Yeah, that one," she confirmed.

"Since when do you care about fitness?" he asked. He quickly added, "I mean, no offense. You just never seemed to care much about it."

Phoebe looked around, then drug her brother back into his room, "I'm tired of being the damsel in distress, when it comes to vampires. And since Katherine's walking around creating drama, that's another reason to learn how to fight. Not to mention our new werewolf problem. So I asked Rick this morning to start training me to fight vampires. He said before he can do much of anything, I need to build up some muscle. I'm gonna ask Matt to start helping me with exercising, but as far as he'll know it's due to Doctor's orders."

Jeremy looked intrigued, "Is Elena gonna learn, too?"

"Please," Phoebe scoffed. "Our sister's a pacifist. She'd rather stay back, and let her vampire knight fight for her. If I tell her what I'm doing, she'll just lecture me about my health issues, and give me a speech about letting Stefan and Damon fight for us."

Jeremy made a face that said 'true', and nodded, "Can I train with you?"

"I was hoping you'd ask that," Phoebe smiled. "Anna and I agreed that we'd feel better if you were trained."

Jeremy smiled back, then realized, "Wait, Anna knows, too?"

"What vampire did you think I'd be practicing with?" Phoebe asked rhetorically.

"Well, Anna said you and Damon are starting over again, as friends; so I just assumed he'd be your punching bag," he replied.

"Ha! Damon's worse than Elena. He'd treat me like a porcelain doll. There's no way he'd let me train to fight vampires," said Phoebe. Then it hit her. "So Anna already talked to you about me and Damon?"

"Yeah, she gave me a big talk about not being too hard on you for wanting to keep him in your life, because at least he knew I'd come back. And she pointed out how she had planned to feed me to her mom, and how she did begin feeding Elena to her, and that she didn't care if her mom killed Elena. It was a very long and logical speech," said Jeremy. "If I didn't know better, I'd swear it was you giving that speech."

Phoebe laughed, "So you don't hate me?"

"I still think he's a dick, and that you can do better. But I don't hate you, Phoebe," he replied.

Phoebe smiled, "...So about the TV?"

"I'll bring it to your room," said Jeremy.

"Thank you. Just set it up on the table by the door," she told him, heading downstairs. Once down there, she asked Matt to unhook the Wii from the living room TV, and bring it up to her room; while she began seasoning the steaks for the grill.

Meanwhile, at the Boarding House, Stefan brings Katherine downs to the basement cell, and chains her to a chair. He then reads Phoebe's text, while Katherine pleads with him not to do this. Stefan asks her, again, why she's come back, but she still claims it was for him. Stefan puts on a pair of gloves, grabs a stick of vervain, and brushes it across her cheek. She cries out in pain, surprised at his willingness to torture her. Stefan assures her he'll do whatever it takes to get information out of her.

Katherine takes a moment, then continues her story from the night of the Founders' Ball. After Henry told her of the werewolf attack, she sought out George Lockwood. She told him she knew what he was, and that she knew he knew what she was. George asked her what she wanted, and that's where Katherine stopped. She remained mute, until Stefan showed her he was willing to listen, by taking a seat.

Back at the Gilbert House, Mason's already arrived, and Phoebe's almost finished seasoning the steaks. Anna helps Jenna set out the snacks, and set the table; while Rick is outside warming up the grill.

"So Anna, where's your mom?" Jenna asked.

Phoebe looked up at Anna, as she replied, "She left town. Business stuff."

"And she just left you here? Alone?" Jenna asked.

Phoebe saw her struggling to come up with a lie, so she jumped in, "Her mom's family is old friends with the Salvatores. They met back in 1864, actually."

"Oh, so you're staying with Stefan and Damon?" Jenna asked.

"Yep," Anna lied.

"Yeah, they've got, like, six extra rooms in that house," Phoebe added.

"Hmm. Speaking of Damon, why is he coming?" Jenna asked, turning to Phoebe, now.

"Because Rick and I are both friends with him," Phoebe replied.

Jenna gave her a look, "Are you sure, because something weird is definitely going on between you two?"

"It's nothing, Jenna. Really. We're fine. We're friends," Phoebe assured her, finishing the steaks. Jenna didn't seem convinced, but let it go.

"I found the shot glasses!" Mason announced, entering the kitchen.

Phoebe walked over to the sink to wash her hands, as Rick entered looking for the steaks. While the adults got sidetracked with the shots of alcohol, Phoebe and Anna grabbed the Wii Balance Board out of the living room, as well as the Wii Fit game, and headed upstairs. As the two girls passed the door, there was a knock.

"That's probably Damon," said Phoebe, handing Anna the balance board. "Bring this to my room, please. I'll be right there."

Anna nodded, and did what she asked.

Phoebe opened the door, "Come on in, Damon."

Damon stepped inside, looking around.

"They're in the kitchen," Phoebe answered, reading his mind. Not literally, she could just guess what he was thinking. She closed the door, and headed up the stairs.

"Where are you going?" Damon asked.

"To my room, with the other teenagers," she replied, not looking back. "Have fun, and be nice, old man."

"The age jokes are getting a little old," Damon called back up to her.

"Just like you," Phoebe mumbled, though she knew he could still hear her.

Damon rolled his eyes, and headed into the kitchen. He recieves a cold greeting from Jenna, but and oddly warm one from Mason. Upstairs, Matt and Jeremy finish setting up the Wii in Phoebe's room. Jeremy sits on the window seat next to Anna, and Matt leans against the footboard of Phoebe's bed.

"Thanks, guys," said Phoebe.

"So why did we move your brother's TV and the Wii in here?" asked Matt.

"Because I wanted to play this," said Phoebe, handing him the Wii Fit case. Matt gave her a look.

"Phoebe wants to start gettingfit," said Jeremy.

"Really?" Matt questioned, surprised.

"Doctor's orders," replied Phoebe, starting up the game.

"Your doctor's been tellin' you that for years," said Matt. "Why the sudden willingness to listen?"

"Well, you might remember I almost died in a fire a few days ago," Phoebe noted, jokingly. "Correction. I did die."

Matt looked disturbed at the thought.

"Sorry," Phoebe told him, noticing his discomfort. "But getting in shape will be good for me. So I want you to become my personal trainer."

Matt looked confused, "Why me?"

"You already know a fair amount about fitness, from being on the football team. I mean, you are the quarterback," said Phoebe. "You're also my best friend, so you know what I can and can't do. You'll know when to push me, and when to back off."

Matt made a face that said, "True."

"So what's on this Wii Fit?" asked Anna.

"I don't really remember. You have to make a profile, first," answered Phoebe.

"Then let's make some," said Anna.

Meanwhile, at the Grill, Elena and Caroline drop in for some lunch. While they wait for their food, Caroline talks to Elena about the cravings she gets, and how eating helps. Elena notes how Stefan really hates that part, about being a vampire. Caroline tells her that Stefan hates that Elena is a constant temptation for him. He constantly has to resist tearing her throat out. Elena is surprised to hear this, though Caroline acts as though it were idle chit-chat.

Meanwhile, at the Salvatore house, Katherine refuses to continue her story. She instead switches tactics, and tries reminding him of his love for her. He claims that he doesn't love her, but she disagrees. She reminds him of his declarations of love to her, after escorting her home from the Founders' Ball. She also tells him about how Damon was waiting for her in her room, when she got there; but she was so moved by Stefan's confession, that she compelled him to leave.

Back at the Gilbert house, the kids have each made a profile on the Wii Fit, and have been having fun trying the various poses, exercises, and games. It's especially amusing – for Phoebe and Anna, at least – watching Jeremy and Matt trying to do some of the yoga poses. Some of the balance games were also quite amusing. There was a soccer game which required the player to shift from side to side to hit the incoming balls with their head. The only catch was, after a while, their would be flying cleats that had to be avoided; and the occasional Panda head.

The four were having so much fun, that when Rick announced that lunch was ready, they took their plates up there to eat while they played. When they were finished, Phoebe and Anna brought their plates downstairs. The adults were in the living room playing picture charades. When they passed by, Damon was drawing something on the giant sketch pad. Phoebe only caught a glimpse of it in passing, but it was enough to make her stop, and back up.

"Dress! Ballerina!" guessed Jenna.

"Puppy in a tutu!" guessed Rick.

"No," said Damon.

"Dog. You ain't nothin' but a hound dog?" Jenna went on.

Phoebe stood in the doorway, holding a couple of empty plates, and sighed, "Dances with wolves."

Everyone looked back at her, as she subtly scowled at Damon. Damon smirked innocently, "Phoebe wins."

"How is that a wolf?" Jenna questioned.

"Ask the artist," Phoebe shrugged, resuming her coarse to the kitchen.

There, she and Anna put away the dishes, and got Damon's cobbler ready to be served.

Damon joined them, "Aunt Jenna is getting tipsy."

"Because you keep supplying her with alcohol," Phoebe noted.

"Well, I want her to like me," said Damon.

Phoebe smirked, and shook her head.

"How's Operation: Lockwood?" asked Anna, cutting into the cobbler.

Damon walked around behind Phoebe, and mumbled in her ear, "He's my new BFF."

Phoebe got chills, but shrugged them off.

Damon grinned to himself, as Phoebe and Anna dished out four slices of cobbler. The girls passed Jenna on their way back upstairs. Jenna was entering the kitchen to get the cobbler for the adults.

"This is fun. Thank you so much for inviting me, Jenna," said Damon, still trying to suck up.

"Did I have a choice?" Jenna snapped.

"I know what you must think about me. I-," Damon began, with his usual casual manner.

Jenna cut him off, "No, you don't. You've never dated you. I have dated many yous."

Damon didn't know how to respond.

"I know something happened between you and Phoebe. I don't know what it is, because she refuses to tell me, but there was definitely something," Jenna continued.

"I screwed up with her. Badly," Damon admitted. "But I'm trying to make up for it."

"Well, she seems willing to give you the chance to. Don't make her regret it," Jenna warned.

Damon nodded, then noticed the silver stemware on the counter, and became intrigued with that.

Meanwhile, back at the Boarding house, Stefan refuses to believe his love for her was real, because he remembers her compelling him. Katherine tells him that she only did that after he found out what she was, because he was so scared of her. She then moves on, returning to her story of the Lockwood werewolves. She explains that George Lockwood used the vampires to cover up his own savagery, by pointing a finger at them for all the deaths. She also tells him about the deal she made with him to save her from the vampire round up in the church, but to let everyone think she was killed with them.

Back at the Gilbert house, the adults sit down for some cobbler. Damon tries getting Mason to touch the silver pie cutter, but he picks the cobbler up with his bare hands. Damon and Rick are both a little disappointed. Rick moves on, asking if he and Jenna ever dated. Damon makes another wolf joke, and Mason gives a witty reply, before toasting to new friends.

Elsewhere, Elena and Caroline are still out. Elena notices that Stefan hasn't answered any of her texts, and she's becoming worried. She asks Caroline if she'd be okay with her leaving to go to the Boarding house, and check on Stefan. Caroline tries convincing her not to by calling her clingy, but Elena still wants to go. Caroline offers to drive her, but pops her own tire to prevent them from making it there.

Meanwhile, Stefan learns that Katherine faked her death because she was running from something. She admits that she had a past that she'd rather stayed away, but her plans were almost ruined because of Stefan and Damon. She tells him how she arranged to see him one last time, before the round up, but his father used his love for her against her and poisoned his blood with vervain. And Damon almost ruined everything by trying to save her from the carriage taking the vampires away. Stefan becomes enraged at her candor about their deaths, while trying to save her, claiming they died for nothing. Katherine disagrees, claiming they died for love.

Back at the Gilbert house, Mason and Damon finally talk freely. Mason tells Damon he knows he knows about him, and he knows what Damon is, so enough with the innuendos. He makes an offer of peace to Damon, claiming he's only in town for his family. He has no beef with Damon or Stefan, or any other vampire in Mystic Falls. Damon shakes on it, and waits for him to leave, then grabs the silver knife out of Jenna's set.

Meanwhile, outside, Matt leaves. After he drives away, Phoebe heads to her car.

"Where are you goin'?" asked Jeremy.

"I'm gonna go visit my dad at the hospital, for a little bit," replied Phoebe.

"Yeah, it's still weird to hear you call him that," said Jeremy.

Phoebe started her car, and then walked back over to her brother and Anna. With the car muffling her voice enough, so Damon couldn't eavesdrop, Phoebe told the pair, "Keep me updated on Damon. When he leaves, let me know."

"What do you think he's gonna do?" Anna asked.

"Something Damon-like, I'm sure," Phoebe answered. "I'd personally prefer for him not to piss off the resident werewolf, so I plan to keep tabs on him for a while."

Anna nodded in agreement. Phoebe hopped in the car, and headed for the hospital.

Meanwhile, Caroline continues to be snippy with Elena about her relationship with Stefan, as she drives her to the Boarding house. Elena becomes more annoyed with her friends' jaded attitude about vampire/human couplings, but tries to remain civil. Just as the two begin to get somewhat along, Caroline's tire runs out of air.

Later at the Gilbert house, Mason is on his way out.

"No takers for more drinks at the Grill?" asked Mason. No one answered. "It's like I'm with a bunch of adults, here."

Jenna narrowed her eyes, and raised her head, "I prefer the term 'role model'."

Mason laughed, and hugged her, "Okay. Well, thanks for havin' me. It was awesome. Alaric, catch that game next week?"

"Yeah, I look forward to it," said Rick, shaking his hand.

"Hey, you know, I should probably head out, too," said Damon. Mason left, and Damon kissed Jenna's hand, "Jenna...you are a wonderful hostess."

"And you are a terrible artist," Jenna replied.

"Is that the only thing that makes me terrible?" Damon asked.

Jenna narrowed her eyes, "Still deciding."

Damon held his hands up in a surrender, "Good enough for me. Alaric...let's not catch that game next week."

Rick gave him a small smile, as he watched him leave. Anna heard him leaving, and texted Phoebe. She told her that Mason was headed for the Grill, and that Damon followed him out.

Meanwhile, Caroline and Elena are still waiting for the tow truck on the side of the road. Elena's growing impatient, and wants to walk the rest of the way. Caroline tries getting her to stay, while she calls the tow people again, but it doesn't work. Elena is too worried about Stefan to just sit around there, waiting for a tow truck. Caroline snaps at her, wondering why she's in such a rush, when their relationship is never going to work out. She gives her a big speech on how Elena's mortality is eventually going to ruin everything, because she's too maternal to not have children. The tow truck finally arrives, and Elena leaves Caroline to walk the rest of the way to Stefan's.

Meanwhile, at the Grill, Mason arrives for last call. Unfortunately, Damon's followed him there, and he isn't there for a drink. He stabs Mason with Jenna's knife, but he isn't effected by the silver. Mason then informs him of two very important things: it was werewolves who started the whole silver myth, and he's now made an enemy.

Back at the Boarding house, Katherine tells Stefan to stop seeing Elena, or else. Stefan doesn't believe her threat, so Katherine pushes him. He threatens to kill her, but he hesitates, giving her the chance to break free of her chains. She explains that since the night his father drugged her by infecting Stefan's blood, she's been sipping vervain everyday to build up an immunity. She only let him chain her up, so she could spend time with him.

Elena arrives upstairs, and Katherine stakes Stefan in the leg to keep him down, while she races upstairs to meet Elena. Though Elena is used to having a twin sister, she's a little taken aback by how much Katherine resembles her and Phoebe. Stefan races upstairs to makes sure Katherine doesn't hurt her, and Katherine disappears.

Back at the Grill, Phoebe arrives too late to stop Damon from getting on Mason's bad side. She finds she's too late, when she finds Jenna's silver knife on the ground with blood on it. She picks it up, and enters the Grill, looking for Damon. To no surprise, she spots him at the bar.

Phoebe approached the bar, and slapped the knife down in front of him, "You just had to make an enemy of the resident werewolf, didn't you?"

Damon moved the knife aside, "I told you before, I like being a living-dead person. Mason Lockwood is a werewolf that can kill me. Of course I'm gonna try to kill him, Phoebe."

Phoebe sat down on the stool next to him, and ordered a root beer, "You and your brother are too high maintenance. I had to distract my sister, so he could spend the day interrogating Katherine; while you spent the day playing 'piss off the werewolf'."

"Stefan spent the day with Katherine?" Damon asked, giving her a look.

"Don't give me the why-didn't-you-tell-me look," said Phoebe.

"Well, why didn't you tell me?" Damon asked.

"Because you would have gone over there, and pissed her off, and we wouldn't have gotten any answers out of her," she answered. "Or worse, she would've tried to provoke you by hurting you more, and I'll be damned if I'm gonna let her do that to you again."

Damon turned to look at her, slowly, and stared at her in surprise.

Phoebe did a double take at Damon, "What?"

"I think that's the first time I've ever heard you swear," said Damon.

Phoebe smirked, "I told you. When it's appropriate."

Damon smirked back, and raised his glass, "Thanks for not telling me."

Phoebe clinked her glass against his, "Anytime."

Meanwhile, in the women's restroom, Katherine confronts Caroline about her failure to keep Elena distracted longer. Caroline assures her that she got through to Elena earlier, with her mortality speech. Katherine hopes she did, or she has no problem killing Caroline a second time.

Meanwhile, Mason returns home. Tyler tries pushing his buttons to get information out of him. Mason, who's already in a bad mood – courtesy of Damon – finally gives in and tells Tyler that to trigger the curse, you have to kill someone. It doesn't matter if it's on purpose, or an accident. Something as simple as a car accident can trigger the curse. As long as another person's life was lost because of him. This bit of information freaks Tyler out, and he falls silent.

Back at the Grill, Caroline eats alone, as Stefan and Elena enter. Caroline apologizes to her friends for her behavior today, and Elena accepts her apology. While the couple sit down, they argue about Katherine. Stefan says they should take her threat seriously, and break up, like she wants. Elena argues that she shouldn't have that much power over their relationship. In the end, Stefan wins, and the two break up. All the while, Caroline and Damon use their vampire hearing to eavesdrop.

Phoebe noticed Damon's body language, "What are you so focused on?"

"Our siblings just broke up," Damon answered.

"What?" Phoebe asked, looking around. She saw Stefan sitting alone, face buried in his hands, and Elena walking out the door. She also noticed Caroline just sitting there, instead of following her friend. Phoebe hopped off her bar stool, and sat down next to Stefan, "What happened with Katherine today?"

Stefan looked up at her, took a deep breath, and told her of the day's events. Phoebe remained silent, as he spoke, paying very careful attention to every word he spoke. When he was finished, she finally spoke.

"Stefan, I...I don't know what to say. You're both right. Katherine should be taken seriously. But at the same time, I hate to see you and Elena have to be apart," she said.

"So do I," said Stefan, sadly. He stood up, "I'll, uh...I'll talk to you later, Phoebe."

Phoebe watched him leave, then returned to Damon's side.

"Heartbreaking. Isn't it?" commented Damon.

"Have I told you lately how much I hate your ex?" Phoebe asked, rhetorically.

Damon gave a light chuckle, "Come on. Let's get you home, so you can coddle your sister."

"Actually, she'll probably wanna be alone right now," said Phoebe. "Would you mind if I came over to read for a little while?"

Damon looked at her, and couldn't help but smile, "Not at all."

Phoebe and Damon hopped off of their stool, and headed out the door. As the two made their way to Phoebe's car, they passed by Katherine – who was leaning against the wall of the Grill.

"Bad day?" Katherine asked. The pair stopped, and faced her.

"Bad century," replied Damon, bitterly. "I heard you were on the loose."

"What's the matter? Jealous that I spent the day with Stefan?" Katherine teased.

"I don't do jealous. At least, not with you," said Damon. He looked her over, then looked at Phoebe. "Not anymore."

Katherine began to grow annoyed. She was losing her hold on him. She gave a sigh, "Then why so pouty?"

"I tried to kill a werewolf and failed. Now I'm not living up to my best self," answered Damon.

"Well, werewolves aren't exactly easy prey," said Phoebe. "You also didn't try very hard."

"True," Damon admitted. He and Phoebe began walking towards the car, again.

"Don't try to be the hero, Damon. You'll end up dead," Katherine warned.

Damon didn't even stop, "Been there, done that. At least this time it'll be worth it."

Phoebe stopped and looked back, "Why so pouty, Katherine? Upset that your little plan didn't work?"

Katherine glared at her, "I don't know what you're talking about."

Phoebe walked closer to her to talk more privately, even though she knew Damon could still hear, "I saw everything, Katherine. You played on his love for you to seduce him, so it would tear us apart, but you couldn't. Something you didn't count on happened. The bond we share was more powerful than what little love he had for you was. And when you couldn't seduce him, you threw the only thing you had left at him, hoping it would be enough to make him do something stupid enough to tear us apart. But it didn't work. And now your hold on him is fading away."

Katherine didn't say anything. She just continued to glare.

"I also know why you were so desperate to tear us apart," Phoebe went on. "You're up to something, Katherine. And you know I can figure it out. You were hoping that by breaking our bond, I'd be so focused on that, that I wouldn't notice what you were up to. That I'd be so upset, I wouldn't care what you were up to. But you got it backwards. If you had just left us alone, we'd probably be so happy together, so involved with one another, that we wouldn't be able to focus on much of anything – aside from each other."

"I have to remember that for next time," Katherine snarled.

"There isn't gonna be a next time, Katherine. Because by knocking down everything Damon and I have spent the past few months building, you've just made me that much more interested in what you're doing here. Now, my primary focus is knocking down everything you're working to achieve," Phoebe told her.

"Well, we'll just see about that," said Katherine, turning to leave.

"Yes we will," Phoebe mumbled.

Meanwhile, at the Gilbert house, Stefan rejoins Elena in her room, and the two talk about the fight. They both admit that they hated it, and how Damon and Caroline were both eavesdropping. Stefan tells her that he knows she's here for something other than him, because she's incapable of love.

Later that night, Katherine walks around Mystic Falls, thinking back to the night she faked her death. She gave George Lockwood the moonstone in exchange for her freedom. She also said 'goodbye' to Stefan, as he lay dead, before leaving Mystic Falls.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, there you have it! How will Katherine respond to Phoebe's honesty? What is Katherine going to do about her failed plan to tear Phoebe and Damon apart? Will Phoebe figure out that Stefan and Elena didn't really break up? Does she already know? What will training with Rick, Anna, Jeremy, and Phoebe be like? Will they help her learn to control her power, too?


	27. Kill or Be Killed

Chapter 27: Kill or Be Killed

The following morning – after Stefan and Elena's "break up" - Mason sits down with Tyler, and tells him the story of how he triggered the werewolf curse. It was a year ago, in Emerald Coast, Florida. Mason left the bar, and headed out to his car in the parking lot, followed by his friend Jimmy. For no apparent reason, Jimmy shoved him aggressively, and began accusing him of sleeping with his girlfriend. Mason adamantly denied it, and tried to get his presumeably drunk friend to calm down. Unfortunately, Jimmy only seemed to wanna kill Mason. Jimmy attacked Mason, throwing several punches, forcing Mason to defend himself. In the end, Mason accidentally killed his friend, in self-defense.

After his story is over, Mason cautions his nephew to be careful, or else the same could happen to him. Since that night, he's had to chain himself up and drug himself on every full moon, or else he'll kill anything in his path. Tyler nods in understanding, and then fulfills his part of the deal. The deal being that if Mason tells Tyler how the werewolf curse is triggered, then Tyler will tell Mason where to look for the moonstone. Unfortunately, it isn't where Tyler tells him to look, because Tyler's already removed it from there.

Meanwhile, at the Gilbert house, Phoebe and Jeremy have returned from a very brief morning jog. Jeremy could've gone a little farther, but Phoebe had plans to train with Rick and Anna later and didn't want to tire herself out already. Once they got upstairs, Phoebe hopped into the shower. Shortly after, Elena entered the bathroom to use the mirror for her makeup. The twins were soon joined by Jeremy, who stood in the doorway connected to his room, while his sisters told him about the Lockwood werewolves.

"I can't believe Tyler Lockwood's a werewolf," said Jeremy, when they were done.

"We're not sure about that, yet," said Elena. "The only thing we know for sure, is Mason Lockwood is."

"Personally, I don't think Tyler is one. At least, not right now," said Phoebe, from inside the shower. "I mean, he didn't turn on the full moon, like Mason did."

"True. Either way, it should be easy enough for us to figure out," said Jeremy.

Elena stopped putting on her make up, and looked at her brother's reflection, "There is no us. I said that I wouldn't keep things from you anymore. That doesn't mean that I want you involved in it."

Phoebe turned off the shower, and stuck her hand out of the shower, waiting for someone to hand her a towel. Jeremy chuckled, as he handed her a towel, "By definition of being in this family, I'm involved."

"This is dangerous, Jeremy," Elena argued.

Phoebe pulled back the shower curtain – towel wrapped around her – and gave her brother a look. Jeremy swallowed whatever arguement he was about to proceed with, and instead conceeded to Elena's wishes. Satisfied, Elena grabbed her make up, and retreated to her room to get dressed. Phoebe began to do the same, but Jeremy stopped her.

"So, why did you just take a shower, if you're gonna be training with Rick and Anna today?" he asked her.

Phoebe glanced back at their sister's closed door, and pushed him back into his room, "Rick said there isn't much physical stuff we can do, until I build up more muscle. So today we're just gonna focus on my weird little mood control power thing."

Jeremy nodded, "I think I'm gonna keep an eye on Tyler. See if I can find out more."

"Okay. Just be careful," said Phoebe, turning to leave.

"Wait, that's it? No 'Stay out of it, Jeremy.'? No 'It's too dangerous, Jeremy.'?" Jeremy questioned.

Phoebe turned back to her brother and shook her head, "Nope. That's Elena's job. I'm the cool sister."

Jeremy gave a snort of laughter.

Phoebe smiled, "Just keep me informed of where you are and what you're doing. Even if I'm too busy to read them at the time you sent them, or reply to them. At least then, if something happens to you, I'll know something."

"Deal," said Jeremy.

Phoebe gave a nod, then headed for her room to get dressed.

While Phoebe and Jeremy had been talking, Elena had been stealing a moment with Stefan in her room. The two share a kiss, before Stefan asks her if she's ready for today. Elena admits that she isn't, because she hates fighting with him, even if it's fake. Stefan isn't fond of it either, but it's necessarry. To make her feel better, he makes up a seemingly cruel phrase, and tells her that when he tells her that today he'll really mean that he loves her. Elena smiles, and then creates a retort that will mean the same thing.

Meanwhile, at Caroline's, Liz gets ready to leave for the Historical Society Volunteer Day. Caroline is surprised, having been assuming she'd make up a reason to not go. Liz assures her that she intends to spend the day with her daughter, after having spent so much time working lately. Caroline warns her that she's in a bad mood today, and heads back for her room. Her mother catches her off guard when she asks about Elena being over there late last night. Caroline starts to deny that Elena was there, but quickly recovers. She tells her mother that Elena was there to talk, because she and Stefan are going through a rough patch. Liz seems satisfied with this, but questions what's going on with Caroline, claiming she's been different lately. Caroline insists that she isn't different, despite Liz pressing the matter.

After showering himself, Phoebe and Anna drop Jeremy off at the Grill on their way to meet Rick for training. The two remind him to be careful, and to keep them updated, before driving away.

While they head to meet Rick in the woods, everyone gets to work at the Volunteer Day event, including Mason Lockwood. Stefan approaches him, with an offer of peace. He tells Mason that Damon acted impulsively, and that if the two of them continue to go at each other's throats someone is gonna get hurt, which he doesn't want. Mason tells Stefan that he made that same offer to Damon the other day, and he turned it down with a knife to the chest.

Stefan apologizes for his brother's actions, and tells Mason he's there to make sure that neither one of them makes another mistake. Mason replies that Damon should watch his back, forcing Stefan to try a different approach. He reminds Mason that Damon only needs to worry about Mason coming for him on a full moon, otherwise it's not a fair fight. Mason caves, and shakes on peace.

As Mason walks away, Damon appears behind his brother, and asks him what he's doing. Stefan tells him he's negotiating peace on his behalf. Damon whines that he doesn't want peace, and asks his brother if really thinks that a little handshake solved their problems. Stefan admits that he doesn't think that. He knows that Mason with kill them both, the first chance he gets, thanks to Damon.

Meanwhile, Phoebe and Anna arrive at the rondevous spot , where Rick was waiting.

"Where's Jeremy?" asked Rick, noticing he wasn't with them.

"He had other plans," replied Anna.

Rick looked confused, so Phoebe explained, "I told him we were going to be focused on figuring out my mood control power thing, so he decided to make himself useful by doing more research into the Lockwoods."

"To be honest, I was looking forward to having his help on this," said Rick. "He's known you his whole life. I was hoping he might be able to help recall some times when you used your power thing."

"So we could figure out what triggers it," Phoebe finished, mentally kicking herself. "Sorry. I didn't think about that."

"It's okay. We'll just have to figure it out without him," said Rick.

"I can remember a time when you used it on me," Anna volunteered. "When we were in the Grill, while the Gilbert device was going off? I remember the pain going away, or at least becoming bareable, while you were touching me. As soon as you let go, it all came flooding back."

"So you're saying she took away your pain," Rick guessed.

"Sort of," replied Phoebe. "It was more like I was feeling it for her."

"What do you mean?" Rick asked.

"When I was covering her mouth, I was desperate for her to be quiet. For the five minutes to end. I didn't want the deputies to take her away from Jeremy, and I needed to find Damon. To know he was okay," Phoebe began. "Anyway, the next thing I knew my ears were ringing. I held on as long as I could, but I had to eventually let go and cover my ears from the noise."

"Interesting," muttered Rick, thoughtfully.

"What?" Anna questioned.

"There was another instance when she used her power on me and Damon," replied Rick. "We were arguing about Isobel. I remember getting more and more pissed at Damon...but then you stepped in. You put a hand on each of us, and then...it was like a wave of calm rushing over me."

Rick and Anna looked to Phoebe for an explanation, so she gave them one, "I just wanted you both to calm down. It wasn't going to do any good for you two to start fighting."

"Interesting," Rick repeated.

"What?" Phoebe questioned, this time.

"In the case of Anna, you syphoned her pain away. But with me and Damon you seemed to project your calmness onto us," Rick explained.

"So you're saying I can use my power in two different ways? Projection and syphon," Phoebe guessed.

"That would be my guess," asnwered Rick.

Phoebe walked around, and thought for a few moments. She was trying to remember other times she had used her power on someone. While she did, Rick and Anna continued discussing her power.

"Then what's the trigger? Damon?" Anna mused.

"Both instances involved a concern for Damon," Rick agreed.

"I also used my power on him when he found out that Katherine wasn't in the tomb," said Phoebe, still walking around. "That first night, he should've been raging. Getting drunk, throwing a fit...you've both seen him upset. How he was later on."

Anna and Rick both nodded.

"But that night, he was calm," Phoebe continued. "I mean, at the time I thought he was just in shock, or denial, but looking back...maybe I projected my calm onto him."

"It's possible," said Rick.

"So Damon, is the trigger?" Anna asked.

"I don't think so," said Phoebe. "Remember when we locked Stefan up to detox him of the human blood? He got all moody, and wanted to die. When I took him out to the quarry to convince him not to, he got really emotional about it. But when I held his hand, he became calm."

"The trigger is your empathy for others. When they're upset, you want to help them feel better. When someone's angry, you want them to calm down to avoid a fight. And when someone's in pain, you want to take that pain away from them," said Rick.

"But what about our recent trip to Duke?" Phoebe asked.

"What about it?" Rick asked her.

"Remember the doppelganger thing? Remember how upset I got?" Phoebe asked him. Rick nodded. "When Damon was holding me, I was projecting my pain onto him. Remember, he told you he could feel my power working on him."

"Well, there goes your empathy theory," Anna muttered.

Rick sighed, "Yeah. Yeah, I suppose you wouldn't project pain onto someone else, if your power was based on you wanting to take pain away from others."

"But it's still emotion-based," said Phoebe. "In that instance, I was hysterical. When you're that upset you don't have control over your emotions."

Rick nodded, "Okay. So we got two ways of going about this. Which do you wanna start with? Syphoning? Or projection?"

"Well, learning to project an intense level of calm – practical sedation – would be a good thing," Phoebe thought aloud. "Then again, highering my tolerance for pain, thus making me able to syphon away more pain from others for a longer period of time, would also come in handy."

"I vote for the calming thing," Anna voted. She knew that either way, she was the test dummy. If Phoebe went with the pain option, Anna was the one that had to be in pain, while she syphoned it away.

Phoebe smirked, understanding her vote, "The sedation power seems a bit more likely to come in handy."

"Projection it is," said Rick.

Back at the Grill, Jeremy sketches for a little while, before approaching Tyler. He tries asking Tyler how he's doing, since his father's death. Tyler is his usual self – being a jerk to Jeremy. As Jeremy begins to walk away from him, Tyler changes his tone, and thanks Jeremy for how cool he was at his father's wake. Jeremy tries making conversation with Tyler, but Aimee Bradley and her friend Sarah show up. Apparently Tyler had texted Aimee, asking if she wanted to hang out, and she was here to accept. Tyler asked Jeremy if he wanted to join them, before they head out. Keeping with his plan to learn new information about the Lockwood family, Jeremy accepts.

Meanwhile, back at the park, Mason approaches Liz about the Founders' Council. She tries playing dumb about the whole thing, but Mason persists. He tells her that he rejected the Council because he wanted a life outside of Mystic Falls, not because he didn't believe. He tells her he knows vampires exist, and that she has two of them living right under her nose. Liz bites, and asks who the vampires are. Mason tells her that the Salvatore brothers are vampires, but she refuses to believe it on the grounds that Damon is her friend, who's done a lot for this town.

Mason presses further, pointing out that the sudden "animal attacks" began when the brothers came to town. And though Liz tries to argue that they can walk in the sunlight, Mason informs her that it isn't 1864 anymore, they've figured out how to walk in the sun. Liz still refuses to believe him. Mason then has the idea to prove it to her, and sets out to do so.

Elsewhere, Elena listens to Caroline go on about her mother actually trying to become more involved in her life, just when she's trying to avoid her the most. After ranting about that for a while, Caroline changes the topic to Elena and Stefan. Elena lies, telling her that they haven't spoken since their fight in the Grill. She tells her that Stefan's just trying to protect her, because he's afraid Katherine will get jealous enough to hurt her, if they don't do what she wants.

Caroline tells her that Stefan's right. Katherine's dangerous, and should be taken seriously. Elena knows she dangerous, and that she should be taken seriously; but this feels more like giving up, and she thought she and Stefan were stronger than that. Caroline struggles to find what to say to her friend to make her feel better, but comes up blank.

Meanwhile, Damon bumps into Liz at the food table. He asks her about her conversation with Mason earlier, which Liz lies about, telling him she was asking for his help with the clean up in the woods. Damon volunteers to help, insisting that's why he's here, but Liz assures him that Mason can handle it. Damon senses something off about Liz, and asks her about it. She lies again, telling him that she's just having issues with Caroline right now. Damon asks if there's anything he can do to help with that, but Liz tells him there isn't. She thanks him for his offer, and walks away.

Meanwhile, back in the woods, Rick and Anna work on helping Phoebe learn to project her calmness onto others.

"Anything?" asked Rick.

"Nothing," replied Anna.

Phoebe pulled her hand away from Anna, and threw her arms up in defeat, "This is ridiculous! We've been at this for over an hour, why can't I do it?"

Rick thought for a moment, before answering, "It might be because she's already calm."

"That shouldn't matter," Phoebe argued. "I mean, I'm trying to make her so calm that she's practically sedated."

"Yes, but you're not motivated enough," said Rick. "Think about it. She's not upset, or angry in any way. No reason for your power to force her to calm down."

"So you want me to get angry?" Anna asked.

"Not just angry. Angry enough to kill," replied Rick.

"I think I know the perfect thing to gear your anger towards," said Phoebe.

"What?" Anna asked.

Phoebe looked back and forth between the two, "My family."

Elsewhere, Stefan and Elena exchange longing looks with one another from afar, which Caroline notices. Elena walks away to talk to Stefan, despite Caroline's objections. Damon finds Caroline, and asks her about her attitude towards her mother. She refuses to answer, because it's none of his business.

Meanwhile, Stefan and Elena fake-fight about Katherine. Elena accuses him of still having feelings for her, and Stefan refuses to discuss the matter with Damon and Caroline eavesdropping a few feet away. Elena presses, wondering how he can hate Katherine while being in love with her, when they look so much alike. Stefan ends the fake-argument by saying his code-phrase for "I love you". Elena does the same, and walks away.

While the couple had their fake-fight, Jeremy and Tyler brought the girls back to the Lockwood manor. They all had a few drinks and hung out, until Sarah noticed Jeremy's sketchbook. Having developed a crush on Jeremy, Sarah pushes him to let her see what he's been working on. He refuses at first, but agrees once Tyler becomes interested.

As they flip through Jeremy's many werewolf sketches, the girls giggle and tease, but Tyler becomes noticeably uncomfortable. He asks Jeremy what all the wolf drawings are about, but Jeremy just tells him it's just something he's been working on.

Suspicious, Tyler gets him alone to talk by telling him he's been working on something that he wants to show him in the study. Jeremy follows him into his father's old study – leaving the girls alone – but there's nothing there. Tyler shoved Jeremy against the wall, grabbing him by the throat, demanding to know what the sketches are about. Jeremy struggles to answer, but manages to tell Tyler that he knows what he is.

Meanwhile, back at the park, Mason finishes laying his trap for Damon, when Damon himself joins him at the lemonade stand. The two have a brief conversation about him talking to Stefan earlier, and how they agree his nice demeanor is overrated, before Mason walks away.

"Please tell me that you were just bonding," said Stefan, arriving at his brother's side.

"So what's up with this, um, faux drama in your relationship?" Damon retorted.

Stefan played dumb, "What are you talking about?"

"Oh, come on, Stefan. You and Elena don't fight," Damon pressed.

"Oh, and who told you that? Phoebe?" Stefan asked.

"It doesn't take a genius to see that you two are fake-fighting," replied Damon.

Stefan looked his brother in the eye, "Drop it, Damon."

Damon raised his hands in defeat, "With pleasure."

Damon turned around to get a cup of lemonade from the little girl working the stand. When he took a sip he got a nasty surprise. The lemonade had been laced with vervain, and Damon was now choking on it. Everyone around them ignored the brothers, assuming Damon had just swallowed wrong. But Liz was watching them from afar, and was horrified to see that Mason had been right about them.

Elsewhere Phoebe works on getting Anna angry.

"You can't be serious," said Anna.

"Completely," replied Phoebe. "If I can make her angry by reminding her of just how much she hates my family then I might have enough to work with."

Rick and Anna both seemed to be confused, which wasn't a surprise to Phoebe. She really was bad at explaining things. Phoebe sat Indian-style on the ground, and gestured for Anna to sit across from her. She did. Phoebe and Anna gripped onto each others arms, and sat up straight.

"Close your eyes, and picture what I tell you," Phoebe instructed.

Anna nodded in response, and then realized Phoebe couldn't see her, "Okay."

"Think back to 1864. My ancestor Johnathan Gilbert had a thing for your mom, and she him. Your mother was happy, and you were happy for her. But then the Founding Families banded together to purge the town of vampires," Phoebe began. "Despite his feelings for her, Johnathan Gilbert had her locked away in the tomb with all the other vampires that were captured that night. And why not? She was a vampire, after all. To him, all vampires are soulless monsters that should be sent back to the hell from whence they came."

Phoebe's plan was working. Anna was beginning to tighten her grip on Phoebe's arms, and Rick could see her becoming tense.

"For 150 years, you had to live without your mother – the only family you had left. All because of Johnathan Gilbert," Phoebe continued. "And now, here you are again, having to deal with another Gilbert. One of the same name, no less. Only this time...he broke your mother's heart in a more literal way."

Anna's grip became so tight, Phoebe was sure the blood circulation to her hands was being cut off. She'd done it. She'd severely angered Anna. Now she needed to work on calming her down.

While Phoebe works on calming Anna down, Caroline finds Elena sitting alone at the park. She joins her, and does her best to be a friend. Elena has to bite her tongue, because knowing she's there to observe them and then report back to Katherine is making her very irritable. Though she's unable to keep a certain level of snark out of her voice, as she talks to Caroline.

As Caroline is about to admit what she's up to, she notices her mom leaving. She runs over to her mother and makes a remark about her lasting longer than five minutes, before work came up. Liz apologizes, telling her that it's important, but Caroline remarks that it always is. As Liz walks away, Elena catches up to Caroline, and asks what's going on. She doesn't know, but can tell that something is up.

Meanwhile, Damon goes into a rage at the new park. He knows the vervain in the lemonade is Mason's doing and wants to kill him more than ever. Stefan gets him to calm down enough to hear what he has to say. He agrees that they should kill Mason. His threats and his willingness to expose them make him too much of a threat to keep alive.

The brothers find Mason alone in the woods – doing clean up – and work together to try and kill him. Unfortunately, Mason has back up. Liz and a couple of deputies shoot the brothers full of wooden bullets, and then inject them with vervain to keep them down. Elsewhere, Caroline hears the shots, and takes off to help – followed closely by Elena.

Back in the woods, Rick prepares himself to inject Anna with vervain, if Phoebe can't tap into her power. Phoebe searches her mind for a time when she felt relaxed and tranquil. She finds one and focuses on it, letting the feeling consume her. As she did, Anna could feel a warmth flowing up her arms and to her heart, slowing it down. It was like falling asleep in a warm bath.

Just as Anna's grip was beginning to loosen, the loud popping sound of gunfire startled the trio. Phoebe and Anna released one another entirely, and got to their feet. All three of them stared off in the direction of the origin of the sound.

"Was that what I think it was?" Phoebe asked.

"Well, if you were thinking it was gunfire, then yes," answered Rick.

"It came from over there," said Anna, pointing.

"Can you hear what's going on?" Phoebe asked her.

Anna focused her vampire hearing, and listened. After a few minutes, she replied, "It's Stefan and Damon. Someone has them."

"Who?" Rick asked.

"I don't know," said Anna.

"Can you take us to them?" Phoebe requested.

Anna nodded, and lead the two humans further into the woods to find the brothers.

Meanwhile, back at the Lockwoods', Tyler asks Jeremy how he knows about his family. Rather than reveal his true source, Jeremy tells him that he read about it in an old family journal. Tyler gives him a disbelieving look, so Jeremy presses further, pointing out how Matt was recently attacked by a wolf on a full moon right after Mason returned to town. It's a little too much to be a coincidence.

Tyler admits that his uncle really is cursed with lycanthropy, but he is not. At least, not yet. He explains to Jeremy that – according to Mason – the curse has to be triggered by the taking of another life – whether it be accident or intentional. Having said all that out loud, Tyler realizes just how crazy it sounds.

Jeremy asks him if that's why his uncle came back to town – to tell him about the family curse. Tyler tells him that Mason's only reason for coming back to town is to find a little white rock called a moonstone, which he's stolen and keeping from him.

Back in the woods, Liz, Mason, and the deputies take Stefan and Damon down to the old Lockwood cellar. Once down there, Liz orders Mason to leave the rest to her. Since he isn't part of the council, he can't be there. He reluctantly leaves, having first made sure that Liz will kill them.

Elsewhere, Caroline and Elena reached the place where the brothers were taken down. Caroline finds traces of blood, just as Mason appears. He makes it clear that he knows what Caroline is, before threatening to tell her mother. Before Caroline can take him out, he grabs Elena in a head lock, threatening to snap her neck.

"I can take you," Caroline told him.

"Wanna bet?" Mason challenged.

In a flash, Elena was lying on the ground, and Anna was holding Mason against a tree by his neck.

"Never bet when the odds are against you," Anna told him. She then drop kicked him a few feet away. Mason was now down for the count.

"Elena!" Phoebe cried, running to her sister's side. "Are you okay? What happened?"

"I'm fine," Elena replied, getting to her feet. "Stefan and Damon are in trouble."

"Yeah, we heard," said Rick.

Phoebe looked at the two vampires, "Can either of you tell where they were taken?"

Anna nodded, "Follow me."

Back in the cellar, Liz shoots Damon in the leg to wake him, and Damon cries out in pain. Liz asks Damon how many more vampires there are in town, but he won't answer her. She shoots him in the other leg, and asks him how he can walk in the sun. Damon still won't answer, so Liz shoots Stefan – who's still unconscious. Damon tries reminding Liz that they're friends, but Liz tells him that their friendship was a lie. She then promises to kill him quickly, if he answers her questions.

Meanwhile, Anna leads the group right to the cellar, where they all hear Liz fire her gun during her interrogation. Elena lingers outside with Caroline for a few moments, to ask her why she's so reluctant to go down. Caroline explains that she can hear her mother inside, and is afraid to go in, because she'll find out about her.

While the two of them linger topside, the other three head down to save the brothers. Anna and Rick hide on either side of the doorway to the cellar, while Phoebe makes a noise to lure a deputy out. When one comes out, Anna knocks him out with a punch to the face, while Phoebe and Rick run into the main area of the cellar. They were surprised to find Liz waiting, aiming her gun at them.

"Mr. Saltzman? Phoebe? What are you doing here?" Liz questioned in surprise.

"You can't kill them, I'm not gonna let you," Phoebe replied, trying to run over to the brothers. The other deputy stopped her, and held her back – despite her struggles. Rick tried to help, but Liz threatened to shoot him if he moved.

The next thing anyone knew, the entrance gate slammed shut, and an unseen force flitted about the room.

"Who else is with you?" Liz asked, nervously.

Her question was answered by Anna, who stopped flitting about to tear the other deputy's throat out with her teeth. The first deputy returned, and shot Anna with a few wooden bullets, which thankfully missed her heart. Unfortunately, it was enough to take her down. Mere seconds later, Caroline flitted down to the rescue, killing the first deputy the same way Anna had the other one.

Liz looked at her daughter in horror, as she dropped the deputy to the ground. Caroline looked at her mother with hungry eyes, as she fought to get her blood-lust under control. Elena managed to make it down, after the party had ended – then again, it had all happened so fast.

Elena ran to Stefan's side, and – after making sure he was still alive – began pulling the wooden bullets out of him. Phoebe did the same for Damon, and Rick helped Anna. After the wooden bullets were safely removed from all the vampires, Anna and Damon fed off of the dead deputies to heal up. Stefan, however, refused to feed on a human – despite the encouragement of the other vampires in the room.

After feeding, Damon stumbled to his feet, "This is a most unfortunate situation. Two deputies dead...and you. What am I gonna do with you?"

Liz stared at Damon, nervously.

"You won't tell anyone, will you?" Caroline asked her. Liz glanced over at her daughter, but looked away quickly. "Mom? Mom? Please...look, I know we don't get along, and that you hate me, but...I'm your daughter, and you'll do this for me, right?"

Liz didn't answer, or even look at Caroline.

"Mom, please. He will kill you," Caroline pleaded.

Liz looked up at Damon, tears in her eyes, "Then kill me. I can't take this. Kill me now."

Damon moved closer to Liz.

"Damon," Rick cautioned.

"Damon, don't!" Stefan barked.

"Damon, please!" Elena pleaded.

"Oh, for crying out loud, relax! He isn't going to kill her," Phoebe snapped. She looked at Damon – who had already turned to look at her – and finished her thought. "She's his friend."

Meanwhile, back at the Lockwood manor, Tyler lets Jeremy look at the moonstone. While he does, Tyler tells him what he found when he looked the stone up online. Moonstones are natural, common rock tied to all sorts of supernatural legends. And when asked, Tyler admits he's keeping it from Mason because he doesn't trust Mason.

Aimee and Sarah then enter, interrupting their conversation. Aimee takes the stone from Jeremy – out of curiosity – and secretly passes it off to Sarah – after seeing how serious Tyler is about it. Tyler moves towards Aimee, demanding the stone back, but she's already passed it off to Sarah – who runs to the top of the stairs with it.

The other three follow her out to the entryway, where she requests that Jeremy come get it from her. Jeremy makes it clear that he isn't interested, hurting her feelings. Tyler fights with her to get the moonstone back, and wins. Unfortunately, Sarah falls down the stairs, and pretends to be dead for a moment, before admitting she's fine. In that moment, though, Tyler was truly terrified that he'd killed her, thus triggering the curse.

Later that night, the gang work together to take care of their day's problems. Anna buries the dead deputies, Stefan hunts down a woodland creature to heal, Damon and Rick get Liz set up in the basement cell – so she can stay there until the vervain leaves her system and she can be compelled to forget what happened – and make her call in sick for work for the next three days, while Elena and Phoebe help Caroline pack up some things for her mother's stay at the Salvatore house.

While bringing her mother's things down to her, Caroline overhears her mother asking Damon to keep Caroline away from her, because she doesn't think she's her daughter anymore. Hurt, Caroline storms back upstairs. Stefan and Elena follow Caroline to try talking to her, while Phoebe brings Liz's bag in to her.

"You're wrong, you know. About Caroline," said Phoebe plopping the bag down on Liz's cot. "She may not be the exact same person anymore, but she's still your daughter."

"Why are you doing this? Why are you helping them? They're monsters, Phoebe," Liz replied.

Phoebe gave her a funny look – amazed at her narrow-mindedness, "Not all vampires are bad. I mean, I'll admit there are some that are indeed monsters, but the Salvatore brothers aren't like that. You and the Council see vampires as people who chose to become a blood-sucking demon that you see on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but that's not what vampires are. They aren't demons, they're people. And just like people, you have some that are good, some that are bad, and some in between. And some of them, like the brothers, didn't choose this life. They didn't choose to become vampires."

Liz didn't seem to believe Phoebe's words, so Phoebe headed for the door. She stopped to add one more thing, "You ask why I'm doing this...I'm doing this so Caroline won't have to have her mother stake her through the heart in her sleep, because her mother's too narrow-mind to see shades of grey in the world."

With that, Phoebe left Damon to help Liz get settled into her temporary room. On her way upstairs to check on Caroline, Phoebe spotted Stefan leering over the freezer of blood.

"Stefan?" she questioned, walking closer to him. "What are you doing?"

"I almost died tonight...because I was too weak," said Stefan, not even looking up. "Katherine took a little vervain everyday and built up a tolerance to it."

"And you think you think you could do the same thing with blood?" Phoebe guessed.

Stefan looked up at her now, "I could learn to control myself on it."

Phoebe nodded thoughtfully.

"You don't think it's a good idea, do you?" he asked.

"I think my sister won't like it, and you'll likely never get her on board with it," Phoebe replied.

"I know, but what do you think?" Stefan pressed.

"It doesn't matter what I think," she told him.

"It does do me," he said. Phoebe gave him a questioning look, so he explained. "I consider you a friend, Phoebe. A very good friend. You remind me of Lexi, a lot, and you're always able to see things that the rest of us can't. I trust your judgment more than anyone else in the world. So please...tell me what you think."

Phoebe gave a small, involuntary smile at his flattery, "In that case, I think that you should do it. You won't be as strong as your average vampire anytime soon, because this is gonna take time, but you should definitely try. As for my sister...I don't know what to tell you. It's up to you if you wanna tell her or not. Just let me know what you decide, so I don't accidentally mention it."

Stefan smiled, "Thank you."

Phoebe nodded, and headed upstairs.

While Stefan and Phoebe had been talking, Elena had been talking with Caroline. Caroline finally came clean about her spying on Stefan and Elena for Katherine, and explained that she only did it because Katherine threatened to hurt Matt, if Caroline didn't do what she wanted. Elena admits that she already knew that Caroline was playing spy for Katherine, and has been so angry with her for it. That is, until she realized that Katherine must be threatening to hurt someone she cares about, and then put herself in Caroline's shoes. Elena then holds her friend comfortingly, as she cries herself to sleep.

Meanwhile at the Lockwood manor, Mason calls Sheriff Forbes to check on her and make sure she dealt with the Salvatore brothers. She doesn't answer, so he leaves her a voicemail. Afterwards, Tyler enters the room and tells his uncle about what happened with Sarah earlier that day. He admits a small part of him was hoping she had died, for a split second, but he doesn't ever want to feel that way again. So he's decided he wants nothing more to do with this family curse, and finally gives Mason the moonstone.

Later, after Caroline's fallen asleep on the couch, Elena tucks her in, while Phoebe and Damon talk by the door.

"Caroline's gonna sleep on the couch," said Phoebe.

"I heard," replied Damon. "And you?"

"I'm gonna go home and grab some things, and come back here to keep an eye on Caroline," she answered. "Elena wanted to do it, but with Katherine lurking around, it isn't exactly a good idea for her to stay the night here."

Damon nodded in agreement.

Phoebe turned to look him in the eye, "Damon...what you did for Caroline's mom today...that's the Damon that's my friend. The Damon I ran into a burning building to save."

Damon twitched a smile.

"Ready to go?" Elena asked, walking up to her sister. Phoebe nodded, and followed her sister out the door.

"Hey," Damon called to Phoebe, following her out. Phoebe stopped and turned back to him. "I heard you and Stefan talking. He should start building up a tolerance for it. But he can't do it alone."

"So you think he should tell Elena?" Phoebe questioned.

"No. I think he could use a friend by his side for morale support," said Damon. "I mean, I'd offer my help, but I think Stef would rather die than let me help him. And your sister won't understand."

Phoebe nodded thoughtfully, "I'll be back soon."

While Phoebe returns home to pack a bag for herself, Mason meets with Katherine to tell her he's got the moonstone. He refuses to tell her where it is exactly, because he doesn't trust her, but that doesn't spoil Katherine's mood. She's just happy that he's finally found the moonstone.

Later, at the Salvatore house, Phoebe returns with her overnight bag, already in her pajamas. Caroline's still sleeping on the couch, and Damon's already gone to bed. However, Stefan's sitting in the library, brooding over a bag of blood.

"Do you really think you can control it?" Phoebe asked, picking up a glass from the drink tray.

"I don't know...But if I don't try...," he replied.

Phoebe sat on the couch next to him, with the empty glass, "So a little bit everyday?"

"Yeah, just a few drops of blood in my system," he confirmed.

Phoebe nodded, as she poured a little of the blood into the glass.

"What are you doing?" Stefan asked her.

"Being a good friend," she replied, putting the bag back down. She held the glass up to him, "I know this would probably be a lot easier for you, if it were Elena here instead of me, but..."

Stefan accepted the glass, "I appreciate you being here to help me, Phoebe. It, uh, it means a lot."

Phoebe flashed him a smile, as he braced himself. Stefan closed his eyes, and shot back the glass of blood. He eyes changes, and his fangs appeared, as he looked at Phoebe. She wasn't afraid, though. She was his friend, and she trusted him not to hurt her. That, and if he tried, there were two other vampires in the house that would hear her scream, and come to her aid.

Phoebe placed a hand on his shoulder, comfortingly, and somehow used her power to take the edge off. It wasn't entirely on purpose, but it also wasn't an accident. She'd intended to try and take the edge off for him, but wasn't entirely sure she'd be able to do it. Thankfully, for both of them, she did it, and Stefan's face went back to normal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you that don't know, and are interested, I have a new fanfiction I've started posting. It's a Harry Potter has a twin sister story, but I plan to have several other OC added into the story. And though it mostly follows the books, I'm going to be changing a lot. For example, Harry and his sister aren't raised by the Dursleys.
> 
> Anyway, back to TVD! So there's a lot going on that Elena is clueless about. How will she react when she finds out about Phoebe and Jeremy learning to fight vampires? Or Phoebe being okay with Jeremy investigating the Lockwood curse? Or Phoebe helping Stefan learn to drink human blood? Will Katherine get jealous of Phoebe and Stefan's friendship? Will Phoebe be able to control her power by the time she meets Elijah?
> 
> Tell me what you think so far. What do you think will happen this season? What do you want to see happen this season? Any and all suggestions are welcome, and appreciated; as are any constructive criticisms. :)


	28. Plan B

Chapter 28: Plan B

It's been three days since the incident at the old Lockwood cellar, and since Stefan started drinking human blood. Phoebe was still jogging every morning with Matt – Jeremy had decided he might be more useful continuing his investigations of the Lockwoods. Rick and Anna were still working with Phoebe everyday to help her learn to control her power, which she was showing promise with. And Stefan still thought it better not to tell Elena about his decision to start drinking human blood, or that Phoebe was helping him do it.

On this particular morning, at the Gilbert House, Stefan woke up to Elena watching him sleep. Stefan tells her that it's creepy, but Elena insists that it's romantic. Stefan then rolls on top of her, kissing her. In between kisses, Elena notes that they'd be in so much trouble if Katherine found out.

After making out a little bit, Elena calls quits so she can get ready to go to the Lockwood's and help set up for the Charity Masquerade Ball. Stefan tells her he's going, too, so he can keep an eye on Mason. Elena agrees that it's a good idea, but they can't talk to each other – even to fake-fight – or touch, or exchange lingering stares.

The pair get out of bed, finally, and walk over to Elena's window. Stefan promises her that they'll get through this, and kisses her goodbye. He then jumps out of her window, and begins walking away. Elena watches him for a moment, then heads for the shower.

Meanwhile, at a nearby bed and breakfast, Katherine spends some quality time with Mason Lockwood. She tries convincing him to tell her where the moonstone is, but he doesn't trust anyone – including her. He asks her what will happen once he gives her the stone, and she promises that they'll live happily ever after. Satisfied with that answer, Mason promises to bring her the stone that night.

Back at the Gilbert house, Phoebe and Matt return from their morning jog. Stefan was still waiting for Phoebe to return – only for a few minutes.

While the two were still down the street a ways, Matt noticed Stefan standing there, "What's Stefan doing there? I though he and Elena broke up."

"They did, but just because they aren't together anymore doesn't mean he isn't still my friend," Phoebe answered.

"Oh, so you're trying to get them back together," Matt guessed, with a grin.

"Nope. That's their business, not mine. The only time I get involved in helping Elena's relationships is when I'm asked, or I actually like the guy," Phoebe replied.

"If you say so," said Matt. "Catch you later at the Lockwood's?"

"Mm-hmm," she replied, with a nod.

"Cool. Later, Pheebes," said Matt, jogging away.

As Phoebe approached Stefan, he gestured to her shirt, and gave a light chuckle, "Nice shirt."

Phoebe glanced down at her shirt. It was a red tank top with white letters that said "Red Shirt Running Team". Underneath that in smaller letters, it said "I'm probably not gonna make it".

"The fact that you get this shirt, makes me happier than you will ever know," said Phoebe, walking towards the house.

"Well, as I'm sure you'd be more than happy to point out, I was around when Star Trek first aired," he replied, following her.

"Did you know that in the original pilot, Kirk wasn't captain of the _Enterprise_ , and Spock wasn't the first officer?" Phoebe tested.

"I did know that. They had a female first officer, and the captain's name was...Pike?" replied Stefan.

"A man after my own heart," Phoebe joked.

Stefan laughed, "Meet you upstairs?"

Phoebe nodded, and headed inside, while Stefan went in through her bedroom window. When Phoebe makes it to her room, she closes the door behind her, and walks over to her bed.

"You know," she began, pulling a lunchbox out from underneath her bed. "I'm beginning to feel like your drug dealer."

Stefan laughed, "Well, in a way, you kinda are."

Phoebe, still kneeling on the floor, unzipped the lunchbox to reveal its contents. There were a couple ice packs, ice, and a cough syrup bottle inside. She noticed Stefan's face, as she opened the cough syrup bottle to begin pouring some of the liquid into the measuring cup it came with, and explained, "I figured a cough syrup bottle being kept in my room would seem less suspicious than a bag of blood. Especially if Aunt Jenna was the one to find it."

Stefan looked impressed, "Clever."

Phoebe beamed, and handed Stefan the cup, "Thank you."

Stefan accepted it, gave Phoebe a 'cheers' gesture, and shot the liquid back like a shot of alcohol. Phoebe reached up, and grabbed his free arm to take the edge off, like she'd been doing.

Stefan handed her the cup back, "Thanks."

Phoebe tossed the cup and the bottle back into the lunchbox – she'd clean the cup later – and returned it to its hiding place under the bed.

"I, uh, I guess I'll see you at the Lockwood's?" Stefan asked. Phoebe nodded, and Stefan took his leave.

Later that morning, Jeremy and Anna knocked on the Boarding House door to talk to Damon. He answered.

"I need to talk to you," said Jeremy.

"And why do I need to talk to you?" Damon asked rhetorically, closing the door.

Anna slammed her hand against the door to hold it open, while Jeremy went on, "Tyler Lockwood has to kill someone to activate his curse. He's not a werewolf, yet."

Damon seemed uninterested, "Wow. Fascinating. Not enough."

Anna had to stop Damon from closing the door on their faces again, "But Mason Lockwood is, and he's looking for a moonstone. That's why he's here."

Damon became intrigued, "Moonstone?"

"It's a special rock connected to the werewolf legend," Jeremy explained.

"And we know where it is," Anna added.

"And you're bringing this to me, why?" Damon asked.

"Do I need a reason?" Jeremy countered.

"Look, we just wanna help, okay?" Anna interjected.

Damon narrowed his eyes at Jeremy, "What did your sister say about this little discovery?"

Before Jeremy could answer, Phoebe came around the corner, "I told him it meant Tyler was still human, and therefore, off limits."

"Does Elena know you're okay with your little brother running around playing with werewolves?" Damon asked her.

"I run around playing with vampires, and I'm fine. As long as he stays clear of them during a full moon, he will be, too," Phoebe replied. "He's a big boy, Damon. He's old enough to make some decisions for himself."

"So that's a 'no'. Got it," Damon noted.

Phoebe sighed, "Elena doesn't want Jeremy involved in all of this."

"But he's a Gilbert and he just can't help himself," Damon teased.

Phoebe rolled her eyes, "Are you going to let us in or not?"

Damon stared her down, like they used to, before stepping aside to let them in.

Meanwhile, at the Lockwood's, people work together to get set up for the upcoming Charity Masquerade Ball. Jenna spots Stefan and invites him over for dinner, later. Stefan, awkwardly, tells her that he and Elena are taking a break right now, so he doesn't think it would be a good idea. Jenna remarks that she heard them together in her room this morning, and it certainly didn't sound like they were taking a break. Stefan is at a loss for words, but thankfully, Jenna pretends she didn't hear a thing and walks away.

Elsewhere, Elena and Bonnie catch up. Bonnie is still leery about being around Caroline, and thinks that Elena has chosen to be on Caroline's side. Elena insists there are no sides, and that Caroline is still their friend, she just needs to give her the chance to prove it. Elena also catches Bonnie up on Katherine's latest demand for her and Stefan to stop seeing each other, and so the couple have been fake-fighting to make her happy.

Back at the Boarding House, Caroline checks in on her mom, who won't even eat the food she's brought her. Liz also still refuses to speak to Caroline, or even look at her; though Caroline still tries. She tells her that Damon said the vervain should be out of her system now, so she'll be freshly compelled and sleeping in her own bed by tonight. As Caroline begins to sulk out, Liz breaks her silence and asks her how she became a vampire.

Meanwhile, upstairs, Rick shows up with Isobel's research on Mystic Falls. As he carries a couple of boxes inside, he sees Jeremy.

"What are you doing here?" Rick asked him.

"I'm helping. I'm the one who found out about the moonstone," Jeremy replied.

Rick gave Damon a look, but Damon only rolled his eyes and shrugged in response.

"Do your sisters know you're here?" Rick questioned.

"One of us does," Phoebe answered, returning from the kitchen with Anna. "What's this?"

"I brought Isobel's research from Duke. Vanessa sent it to me," Rick replied.

"Mmm, Vanessa – the hottie," Damon teased. He was gearing it towards Phoebe, who was looking through the book containing the sun and the moon curse.

Phoebe knew he was trying to get a rise out of her, so she played along. She looked Damon in the eye, and with a completely straight face, she made a cupping gesture as she said, "Yeah, she did have a nice pair of-"

"Yes! Vanessa," said Rick, cutting her off. Damon looked down at Phoebe confusedly, resisting a laugh, as Rick continued. "Do you two remember the old Aztec curse she told us about?"

"The sun and the moon curse," said Phoebe, gesturing to the book she was already flipping through.

"Wait, Aztec curse? Cool," said Jeremy, eagerly.

Phoebe handed him the book to look at with Anna, while she explained, "Yeah, basically vampires and werewolves used to roam freely, until an Aztec Shaman put a curse on them to limit their power."

"Yeah, since then werewolves can only turn on a full moon, and vampires are weakened by the sun," Rick added.

Damon flaunted his ring, "Most of 'em, anyway."

"According to the legend, the werewolf part of the curse is sealed with the moonstone," Rick continued. He handed Phoebe an old tapestry with an ancient Aztec drawing on it of the Shaman who put the curse on the vampires and werewolves. Phoebe studied it with fascination.

"What do you mean 'sealed'?" Jeremy asked.

"It's a witch thing," Anna answered. "Whatever seals the curse, is usually the key to unsealing it."

"Then maybe Mason Lockwood believes he can use the moonstone to break the curse," Phoebe suggested, still staring at the tapestry.

"If we start believing in some legend from a witchy-woo picture book, we're idiots," said Damon.

"My, Mr. Lugosi, aren't we confident," Phoebe teased, with a smirk.

Damon shot her a look, "Who has the moonstone now?"

"Tyler," Jeremy answered.

"Can you get it?" Damon asked.

Jeremy thought for a moment, then replied, "Yeah."

"Why are you so worried about it? I thought you said it would make you an idiot to believe in it," Phoebe challenged.

"This comes from a book that also says a werewolf bite can kill a vampire," Damon began, snarkily. "Ignoring it would make me an even bigger idiot."

"Then let's go get us a moonstone," said Anna.

Everyone headed for the door, while Phoebe lingered a moment with the tapestry.

"Something wrong?" Rick asked her, noticing her fascination.

"No, it's just...can I borrow this for a while?" Phoebe requested.

Rick nodded, "Sure."

"Thanks," she replied. She rolled up the tapestry, and headed out with the others.

Back at the Lockwood's, Mason is surprised to see Stefan there. Not only that, but he's concerned for what he and Damon might have done to Liz Forbes. Stefan assures him that Liz is fine, but he'll have to learn to do his own dirty work from now on. Mason forces a smile, and walks away, bumping into Bonnie.

Stefan notices the confusion on Bonnie's face, and asks her what she saw when she touched Mason. She says she saw him kissing Elena, but doesn't understand why Elena would do that. Stefan corrects her: it wasn't Elena she saw, but Katherine. Mason and Katherine are in league with each other.

Inside, Elena sees the two talking, and becomes curious. However, her focus becomes swayed when she sees Anna, Damon, Phoebe, and Jeremy walking by.

"What's going on?" Elena questioned.

"Ask Eager Beaver," Damon replied, heading out to talk to Stefan.

Jeremy and Anna began to follow him, but Elena pulled Jeremy aside, "Jeremy, what is he making you do?"

Anna continued to follow Damon out, while the siblings had a moment to talk.

"He's not making me do anything. Damon and I are-," Jeremy began.

Elena cut him off, "Uh, no. No way. No, no, no, no, no. There is no Damon and you. There's Damon and whoever Damon's using. And those people, they end up dead."

"Relax, Elena, it's okay," said Phoebe, finally appearing.

"No, it's not, Phoebe. It's too dangerous. I don't want him involved in this," Elena argued.

"Well, I don't really care what you want, Elena. You're not my mother. So why don't you stop acting like it," Jeremy replied. He walked away, before Elena could argue with him further.

"Look, I get it. I'm worried about him, too. But at least this way, I know where he is and what he's doing, because he keeps me in the loop when I'm not there with him. If we both treat him like a child and tell him to stay out of it, he'll just go behind our backs. And then what? What if something happens? We won't know where he was or what he was doing. We'll be completely lost. You may not like it, but it's what's happening. You're his sister, Elena, not his mother. You can't control his life," Phoebe told her. When she was finished, she followed the others outside.

She found Stefan and Damon on the back patio talking about what Bonnie had seen, when she touched Mason.

"Katherine's with Mason Lockwood?" Damon questioned in surprise.

"We missed it. He got into town right after she did. It makes perfect sense," said Stefan.

"How could you miss that?" Damon asked Phoebe.

"Uh, if you recall, I was kinda in the hospital trying not to die. Again. You know, after going into a burning building to save your life?" Phoebe retorted, snarkily.

He made a face that said 'true', then went back to being surprised about Mason, "But Mason Lockwood? Werewolf thing aside, the guy's a surfer."

Phoebe shrugged, "I thought he was kinda hot."

Stefan and Damon both stopped to look at her. They couldn't tell whether she was joking or not.

"What? He has those little flecks of grey in his hair...he has blue eyes..." Phoebe explained. She cleared her throat, "Moving on! As attractive as Mason Lockwood is, Katherine is incapable of truly loving someone, so she has to be using him."

"Using him for what?" Stefan questioned.

"Mason's in town looking for a moonstone that allegedly can break the full moon werewolf curse. Maybe Katherine wants it as well," Damon offered.

"Why?" asked Stefan.

"Well...no idea," Damon answered. "That's the beauty of Katherine. She's always up to something."

"So how are we gonna find this moonstone?" Stefan asked.

"Jeremy's getting from Tyler right now," Damon answered.

Stefan gave his brother a look, "Why would you involve Jeremy?"

"He's playing Indiana Jones. He involved himself," Damon argued. "Besides, Phoebe said it was okay."

Both brothers looked at Phoebe for confirmation.

Phoebe threw her hands up dramatically, "What do I have to do, get him a button to pin to his shirt that says 'I'm here with my sister's permission'?"

"Hey," Anna greeted, joining the trio. "Jeremy just tried to get the moonstone from Tyler."

"Tried?" Damon questioned.

"He doesn't have it anymore," said Anna.

"Then who does?" Phoebe asked, afraid of the answer.

"He gave it to his Uncle Mason," Anna answered.

"What? Why?" Stefan asked.

Anna shrugged, "He said he didn't want anything to do with all of this supernatural stuff, so he gave it to his uncle."

There were collective groans, and other disappointment noises.

Phoebe perked up, "I think I have an idea...I'll be right back. Wait here."

While Phoebe was gone, Elena texted Stefan, demanding to know what was going on. Stefan tried texting her that he'd fill her in later, but she was insistent. Stefan called her and filled her in on what was going on. While he did that, Phoebe returned with Bonnie.

"What did you bring her for?" Damon asked.

Phoebe ignored him, and turned to Bonnie, "I know how you feel about helping us, but since you're the one that linked Mason with Katherine, we finally have an opportunity to get an upper hand on both of them, so please just hear me out."

"I'm listening," said Bonnie.

"If you could touch Mason Lockwood and get another read on him – you know, to see if he gave Katherine the moonstone yet," Phoebe began.

"My visions don't work like that," said Bonnie. "I don't get to ask questions."

"How inconvenient," Damon remarked.

Phoebe gave him a look, and sighed. This meant they'd have to go with Plan B: Interrogation. Though Damon would be all for it, Phoebe wasn't looking forward to it.

"Okay...what's that – that witchy thing you do to Damon all the time? With his head?" Phoebe asked.

"You mean the fun one where my brain bursts into flames?" Damon asked, sarcastically.

Bonnie grinned at Damon, "That's me giving you an aneurysm. Your blood vessels go pop, but you heal quickly, so I do it over and over again."

Phoebe looked impressed, "Is it vampire-specific?"

"It'd work on anyone with a supernatural healing ability," Bonnie answered.

"I think I see where you're going with this," said Anna.

"Me, too," Damon added.

"I'm not gonna help you hurt him," said Bonnie.

"Mason Lockwood is a werewolf. Katherine's evil. They're the bad guys, Bonnie," Anna argued.

"Let me put it to you another way: They're a threat to everyone in this town. So you, witch, are gonna get over yourself and help us," sneered Damon.

Phoebe put a hand on his chest to keep him back, "Yeah, he meant that as a question, with a 'please' at the end."

"Absolutely," Damon agreed.

Bonnie thought it over for a minute or two, but eventually agreed to help them. When Stefan got off the phone with Elena, Phoebe filled him in on their conversation with Bonnie, and the five of them made a plan to kidnap Mason Lockwood. Bonnie got him to lower his guard by pretending to need help moving some tables, then used the aneurysm thing on him. Damon knocked him out, then Anna and Stefan loaded him into the back of his truck. Damon, Bonnie, and Phoebe climbed in and headed for the Boarding House; while Stefan and Anna went back to helping set up.

Back at the Boarding House, Caroline continues to talk to her mother about her being a vampire. She explains that she doesn't need to kill – though she wants to – as long as she has blood. It can be a blood bag, or an animal, or even feeding from a person – without killing them. Liz doesn't want this for her daughter, but Caroline notes that when life give you lemons...

Upstairs, Damon and the girls return with Mason still unconscious. Damon uses Mason's own chains to tie him to a chair in the library, after laying a tarp down to catch the future blood spill. Bonnie gets a read on Mason while he's still out, and learns that the moonstone is hidden in a well. Mason begins to wake up, so she heads out. She runs into Caroline on the way, and they work together to remember what well the moonstone is hidden in. Bonnie texts it to Stefan, and then tries to leave. Caroline offers to help her get the moonstone out of the well, hoping for a chance to get her friend back. To her pleasant surprise, Bonnie gives her that chance.

Meanwhile, at the Lockwood's, Matt asks Elena why Caroline isn't there helping, when it's kind of her thing. Elena vaguely replies that she had something else to do, and Matt wonders if she's seeing someone else. Elena assures him that she isn't; before Tyler appears, wondering where Mason is. Stefan tells him that Mason left a little while ago. He then receives Bonnie's text about the well, and heads out to find it. Elena becomes visibly annoyed that she's left to do charity work, while everyone else is doing something useful. However, she soon decides not to sit there any longer, and follows Stefan out.

Back at the Boarding House, Damon begins his torture session with Mason. Heat heats a fireplace poker in the fireplace, until it's red hot and pokes Mason with it. He asks him about Katherine – how they met, what's she up to, etc – but Mason refuses to answer. While Damon continues to persuade him to talk, Phoebe peruses the books in the library. Although she knows what has to happen, she isn't happy about it, and would prefer not to be there; but her ability to observe what others don't means she's needed there to help Damon ask questions.

Meanwhile, Stefan finds the old Lockwood well in the woods, closely followed by Elena. She stays at the top, while Stefan jumps down into the well to get the moonstone. When he gets to the bottom, he finds a nasty surprise. Mason's filled the well with vervain to prevent any vampires from getting the stone. Caroline hears her friend's cries, and flits to the rescue. Caroline helps Elena wrap the well's chain around her, so she can lower her down to Stefan.

Back at the Boarding House, Damon continues his torture session with Mason. Phoebe, on the other hand, has moved on from looking through the books in the library to going through Isobel's research for something useful.

"When did you two meet?" Damon asked Mason. "Did she seduce you, tell you she loved you?"

Mason didn't answer.

"You're supernatural, so she can't compel you. I'm sure she used her other charms," Damon sneered. "Katherine's good that way."

"Hey, grumpy-fangs, come see," said Phoebe.

Damon put down the hot poker, and joined Phoebe, "What is it?"

Phoebe handed him a dried up plant from one of the boxes, "Aconitum Vulparia."

"Is that supposed to mean something?" Damon asked.

"Aconite?" Phoebe questioned. Damon blinked. "Also known as monkshood? Or _wolfsbane_?"

Damon still seemed lost.

Phoebe lifted her glasses up to her head, and rubbed her face in frustration, "171 years old, and you don't know what wolfsbane is..."

"Just tell me, already," said Damon, impatiently.

"It's supposed to be toxic to wolves," Phoebe blurted out.

"Interesting," Damon mumbled. He took the wolfsbane, and walked back over to Mason. "What's Katherine doing in Mystic Falls?"

Mason didn't answer.

Damon took a stem, and ran it across Mason's cheek, "Why is she here?"

"She's here with me!" Mason cried. "Why do you ask, you jealous?"

Phoebe flinched. That was the wrong thing to say to Damon, and she knew it.

"How rude of me. You know, I just realized I didn't offer you anything to eat," said Damon. He shoved the stem of wolfsbane into Mason's mouth. Mason coughed and spat out what he could.

Meanwhile, back at the well, Caroline lowers Elena down to Stefan. He's unconscious from all the vervain. Elena wraps the chain around him, and Caroline pulls him up. However, Elena refuses to leave, until she finds the stone. She finds the stone, just as she realizes Mason's other insurance policy: snakes. He clearly didn't want any humans to be able to get the stone, either.

Elena screams and fumbles to get away from the snakes, while holding onto the stone. She calls for Caroline to pull her up, and she does. Once safely away from Mason's traps, Elena holds Stefan, and tells Caroline to go catch something for Stefan to eat.

Back at the Boarding House, Damon continues questioning Mason.

"Why do you want the moonstone?" Damon asked.

"Screw you," Mason spat.

Damon made a buzzer sound, "Wrong answer. I'm takin' your eyes now."

"The well! You can find it there," Mason shouted.

"I know where it is," said Damon. "I wanna know what it does, and why you want it."

"I'm getting it for Katherine," said Mason.

"Why?" Phoebe asked.

"She's gonna use it to lift the curse," Mason answered.

"Of the moon?" Damon questioned, as though it were a joke.

Phoebe ignored him, and focused on Mason, "That doesn't make sense. Why would a vampire want to help a werewolf break a curse that keeps them from turning whenever they want to?"

"So I wouldn't have to turn anymore," Mason answered.

"Why?" Damon questioned.

"Because she loves me," said Mason.

Damon's face changed in an instant. It went from a sneer to a look of amusement. He laughed as he announced, "Now – Now I get it. You're just stupid."

"Damon," Phoebe began.

He ignored her, "Katherine doesn't love you. She's using you, you moron."

"Damon," Phoebe said again. It was more forceful this time.

"I'm done talking," said Mason.

"Yes, you are," Damon mumbled.

Phoebe was done trying to get Damon's attention with words. She grabbed his arm, and dragged him away from Mason, "Don't."

"He's a werewolf, Phoebe. He's too dangerous to leave alive. Next full moon, he'll probably plot to get me and Stefan alone with him, so he can kill us," Damon argued.

"I know all of that, and I'm not asking you not to kill him," said Phoebe.

"Then what are you asking?" he asked.

"Don't take away the one thing he has left," she told him. Damon waited for her to elaborate. "The belief that Katherine really loves him."

"But she doesn't love him, Phoebe. You said it yourself, she's incapable of love," Damon argued.

"Think back to when you found out the truth about Katherine. Remember how upset and hurt you were," said Phoebe. Damon started to give her his usual argument about not ever feeling hurt, especially by Katherine; but Phoebe told him something that he couldn't argue with. "Before you even give me the Damon speech about never getting hurt, remember who was with you all night that night, holding your hand. I felt that pain, Damon. I felt _your_ pain."

"What's your point?" Damon asked, impatiently.

"Do you really want to inflict that kind of pain on another person? No matter how much you dislike them?" Phoebe asked. Damon said nothing, as he thought about it. "He knows he has to die, Damon. The least you can do is let him die believing that she really loved him."

Damon watched her, quietly, as she walked back over to Mason. She looked him in the eye, and with utter sincerity told him, "I'm sorry. I really wish it wouldn't have had to come to this."

At that moment it hit Damon, like a train, just how good and kind Phoebe was. She was so much better than him. A better person than he could ever hope to be. He didn't deserve her. He didn't even deserve to be her friend. She deserved someone better, like Stefan or Matt Donovan. Here she is, knowing full well what's to come...knowing that Mason would kill them all the moment he got the chance, without hesitation...knowing that, were their roles reversed, he wouldn't be as kind to her...and yet, here she was apologizing.

"Just help Tyler. Don't let this happen to him," Mason pleaded.

"I promise," Phoebe told him. She walked back towards Damon, and told him, "Make it quick."

Damon nodded, and waited for her to leave the room. Once she did, Damon plunged his hand into Mason's chest, and ripped out his heart.

Later that evening, Elena returns home before Phoebe. She sneaks upstairs to get cleaned up, before letting Jenna know she was home. Meanwhile at the Boarding House, Caroline tells her mother about her adventure with Bonnie, Elena, and Stefan at the well. After which she compels her mother to forget about her being a vampire – as well as the others – and makes her believe that she's been sick for the past three days.

Upstairs, Damon texts Carol from Mason's phone, telling her that he's returning to Florida, and won't be back for a while. Stefan returns and offers his help with disposing of Mason's body. Unfortunately, Damon has something more fun in mind. He finds Katherine's number in Mason's phone and calls her. He taunts her by telling her that he killed Mason, pissing her off. She reminds him that she always has a back-up plan. And a back-up plan for that, and so on and so forth – something Damon failed to consider, before calling her to taunt her.

Back at the Gilbert's, Phoebe arrives just as Elena's finished cleaning up. While Phoebe heads upstairs, Elena heads into the kitchen. She and Rick have a brief chat about her day, before Jenna hands Elena the phone. It's Katherine. She tells Elena that she knows she's still been seeing Stefan, because she's compelled Jenna to spy on them for her. She reminds Elena that there would be consequences, if she didn't listen to her. At that moment, Phoebe entered the kitchen to see a compelled Jenna stab herself with a knife.

"Jenna, no!" Phoebe cried.

Rick and the twins ran to her side, as she fell.

Phoebe grabbed the phone from Elena, and hung up on whoever was on the line to call 911.

Later at the hospital, Phoebe, Rick, and Jeremy wait in the waiting room for news. After a while, Elena returned with news.

"Is she okay?" Rick asked.

"The doctors said she got lucky," Elena answered. "She's gonna make it."

"Does she remember what happened?" Phoebe asked.

"No, nothing. It's all part of Katherine's mind compulsion," replied Elena.

"Why would Katherine hurt Aunt Jenna?" Jeremy asked.

"Because she's trying to send a message...that she could get to anybody," Phoebe answered.

"This is all my fault. If I hadn't been so selfish...," began Elena. She couldn't finish her thought, because of the tears that were now streaming down her face. Phoebe and Jeremy engulfed their sister in a hug.

"She's gonna pay, Elena. I don't know how, but she's gonna pay," said Jeremy.

Meanwhile, at the Lockwood's, Tyler learns from his mother that Mason's gone. She tells him about his text that said he had a big opportunity in Florida open up for him, and he just took off. Tyler is visibly upset by this news, but there's nothing he can do about it. It's just him and his mom now.

After leaving the hospital, Phoebe drove Elena to the Boarding House to finally end things with Stefan. It's hard, and visibly painful for them both, but they have to do it. While they do, Phoebe waits in the next room.

"Phoebe," said Damon. When she turned to face him, he could tell by her face that she'd been crying. This made him feel even more guilty for what he'd done. However, Phoebe didn't seem to blame him for this, because she threw her arms around his neck, and held him tight, as she fought back more tears.

Damon held her in his arms, as he told her, "I riled Katherine up. I...I wasn't thinking. I didn't think."

"It doesn't matter, Damon. She knew that they were still seeing each other. It was only a matter of time before she had enough, and hurt someone," she told him. Damon didn't know what to say. "She won this round, Damon. She got what she wanted. But she does not get to win the next round. I'm tired of her hurting the people that I love. I'm not gonna let her do it again."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well there it is, guys! Next chapter is the Masquerade Ball. How will that turn out? Will Phoebe get her vengeance on Katherine? Or will Katherine get her revenge on Phoebe (for all her bold talk)? What will Phoebe wear? Will Elijah's first impression of Phoebe be off because of what she wears when they first meet? Will both twins be kidnapped, or just one of them? What's with Phoebe's strange fascination with the sun and the moon curse tapestry? Will Damon screw things up, again, with Phoebe? What will Phoebe think of Rose? What will Phoebe think of Elijah? How will Phoebe react with all the upcoming werewolves?
> 
> Thank you so much, guys, as always! Please let me know what you think, so far. Or what you think will happen in the future (no matter how distant). Or what you'd like to see happen in the future (no matter how distant).


	29. Masquerade

Chapter 29: Masquerade

It's been about two weeks since Katherine had Jenna stab herself, and she was recovering nicely. The doctors were going to be releasing her very soon. Coincidently, it was the same day that John was getting released. In preparation for this, Phoebe spent her free time, over the last few days, turning the dinning room into a bedroom for John. Jenna and Elena weren't happy about having him stay with them, but though he was well enough to be released from the hospital, he wasn't well enough to get around without help.

As for Stefan and Elena, they were continuing to do as Katherine said, and avoided each other entirely. Neither spoke to the other, or even spoke of the other. Stefan had quit going to school, so he could give Elena her space. He didn't even leave the house, hardly. The only time he really got out was to hunt. Because of is social isolation, Phoebe made it her job to go over there every day to visit.

"You don't have to come here _every_ day, Phoebe," he'd told her. "I'm not gonna spiral out of control, like Damon."

"Actually, if I'm to keep giving you your daily dose blood, I kind of do need to come by everyday," she'd replied.

She had a point. And though Stefan still tried to press that she didn't have to stay as long as she did to visit with him, or that she could just give him the blood and go; she only informed him that she still did her job as a good sister and checked in on Elena, but she not only didn't want to talk about it, she also had Bonnie and Caroline to talk to for support. Stefan only had Damon to talk to, which she knew he wouldn't do.

The two week time-span from Stefan and Elena's break up to now was very long, and hard for Phoebe. She had more going on than anyone. Aside from her schoolwork, turning the dinning room into a bedroom, visiting Stefan, visiting Jenna and John in the hospital, continuing her morning jogs with Matt, and still practicing her projection power; Phoebe was still involved in a few other activities. Rick had finally started teaching her how to fight vampires, and use her siphoning power.

On this particular morning, a meeting was called at the Boarding House.

"Hey," said Anna, entering the house.

Phoebe was right beside her, "What happened?"

Damon looked them both over, "Nice outfits."

The two girls had been out for a jog together, so they were wearing workout clothes.

"I thought you usually go running with Donovan," Damon added.

"I do, but he's helping Rick, Jeremy, and Elena bring Jenna and my dad home today," Phoebe replied.

"You didn't wanna go?" Stefan asked.

"Three guys and Elena? I think they can handle it," Phoebe replied.

"Can we just stop with the idle chit-chat, and tells us what the emergency is?" Anna requested.

Stefan looked at Caroline, "Tell them."

Caroline took a deep breath, "I saw Katherine today."

"Where?" Phoebe asked.

"At the Grill," she answered. "I just stopped by to gawk and...quasi-stalk Matt. But he saw me, and tried asking me if I needed a table, so I told him I was just stopping by to use the bathroom."

"Skip the teen drama and get to it," said Damon.

"Then I had to pretend to use the bathroom, even though I didn't really have to go, 'cause I'm a dufus," Caroline continued. "Anyway, Katherine followed me in and pretended to be Elena, by asking me about what just happened with Matt. I played along for a minute, but when I tried to leave, she stopped me. She said she wanted me to deliver a message."

"What was the message?" Phoebe asked.

"She said to tell Stefan and Damon that she wants the moonstone, or she was going to tear the town apart, until it rained blood," said Caroline. She slowed down as she said the last bit.

"Tell them the rest of it," said Damon.

"She said it had to be tonight at the Masquerade Ball," said Caroline.

"Yes!" Phoebe shouted, holding two fists up triumphantly.

Stefan, Damon, and Caroline looked at Phoebe, confused by her reaction.

"Not the response I was expecting," said Damon.

"Yeah, Phoebe, this isn't good news," said Stefan.

"Oh, yes it is. I get new art supplies," Phoebe replied, happily.

Anna saw the confusion on their faces, and clarified, "She and Jeremy made a bet couple of weeks ago. Phoebe said Katherine would wait until the Masquerade Ball to ask for the moonstone back, and that she would demand for the exchange to take place at the ball. Jeremy said there was no way she could predict that, and that there was no way Katherine would wait that long to try and get the stone from us."

"How did you know she would wait until now?" Caroline asked.

"It was the next big event, that would mean having a lot of people gathered together. More people means there are less things we can do to her, and she can be surrounded by potential victims for her to kill, should we deny her what she wants. The two weeks also gives her time to come up with a counterplan to whatever plan she thinks we'll be making," Phoebe explained.

"She's right," said Stefan. The frustration in his voice was obvious, as he continued. "She's had two weeks to prepare for whatever plan we'll come up with, while we've just been sitting here."

"Well, can't we just give her the moonstone so she'll leave?" Caroline suggested.

"No. Katherine's not getting dick," said Damon. "I've had it. I'm gonna go to the Masquerade Ball, and I'm gonna kill her."

Anna started to raise her hand and say something, but Phoebe stopped her.

"You're not gonna kill her," Stefan argued.

"Don't give me that goody-goody crap," Damon snarled.

"You're not gonna kill her," Stefan repeated, calmly.

"Oh, really?" Damon asked, challengingly.

"Because I am," Stefan answered, simply.

Damon didn't argue with his brother. He just smiled proudly.

"Damnit...," Anna muttered.

Stefan, Damon, and Caroline looked over to see Phoebe gloating again.

"What now?" Damon asked.

Anna gave a heavy sigh, "I bet Phoebe that you would argue with Stefan on who was going to kill Katherine. I said there was no way you would let Stefan do it."

"Well, it's not gonna matter which one of us kills her, if we don't come up with a plan," said Stefan.

"Actually," Phoebe began. She was cut off by Caroline.

"How are we gonna do that?" Caroline asked. "I mean, you said it yourselves, she's had two weeks to plan against your plan."

"Well, you see," Anna began. She was cut off, too.

"She's running scared. What she did to Jenna was desperate. She's out of tricks," Damon scoffed.

Anna and Phoebe shared a look.

"We can't underestimate her. We have to play this smarter than her," Stefan argued.

Phoebe put her thumb and forefinger in her mouth, and blew. An earsplitting whistle caught everyone's attention.

"Son of a...," Damon mumbled, covering his ears.

"What the hell?" Stefan questioned, doing the same.

Caroline gave Phoebe a look, "Ow."

"Now that I have your attention," Phoebe began. "Katherine is clever, and used to having back-up plans for back-up plans. She also knows how you two opperate, and possibly Anna. But she's also alone. She has no idea what the rest of us are capable of, much less what we're capable of working together. Jeremy, Anna, and I _have_ a plan for tonight. A plan we've worked on everyday for the last two weeks. And if we all work together, it can be fool proof."

The brother's shared a look. They were impressed.

"So tell us," Damon began. "What's this fool proof plan you've come up with?"

While Phoebe and Anna inform Caroline and the brothers of their long-thoughtout plan, Rick and Matt help the Gilbert family get settle at their home. Rick and Elena helped Jenna get settled on the couch in the living room, while Matt and Jeremy helped John get settled into the room Phoebe created for him in the dinning room. It was nice. There was a decent-sized bed, and an old wardrobe. The wardrobe was half drawers, and the other half was a cabinet for hanging clothes that you didn't want to fold.

"Looks nice," said John, looking around the room. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me. It was all Phoebe," Jeremy replied. His phone notified him of a new text message, and he pulled out his phone to check it.

"Where is Phoebe?" John inquired.

"Out," said Jeremy, taking his leave.

After Jeremy left, Matt clarified, "Phoebe's out for a run with Anna. She said she'd be back later to see you."

John nodded, "I thought it was you that she normally went running with."

"It is, but Anna mentioned something about wanting to start exercising more, too, so they went together," Matt replied. "Honestly, I think they both just wanted some girl-time."

John gave a light chuckle, "Thank you, Matt."

Matt nodded, and left John to get acquainted with his new room. While he did, Jeremy gathered all of the materials for his, Anna's, and Phoebe's plan to take down Katherine. The text he'd gotten was from Anna, telling him to bring the plans to the Salvatore Boarding House, so they could share it with the brothers. Rick also had to make an excuse to leave for a while, because Damon texted him to join in on the planning, and bring some of his cool weapons.

Meanwhile, Katherine does a little shopping for the ball. She buys several different dresses and masks to try, and brings them back to her room at the bed and breakfast. As she goes through one of the bags, an old witch friend of hers appears in her room. They exchange pleasantries, and Katherine explains to her why she requested her presence in Mystic Falls.

Back at the Boarding House, the gang is in full swing perfecting the plan that Jeremy, Anna, and Phoebe came up with. Bonnie, however, is the last one to join the party.

"Hey, come in," said Phoebe, answering the door.

"I got Stefan's message," replied Bonnie, entering the house.

"Hey, you brought the grimoire. Thank you," Stefan greeted.

Bonnie took a look around, and saw Damon and Rick going over weapons, "What's going on?"

"We're gonna kill Katherine," said Jeremy, passing by.

Bonnie gave Stefan a look.

"I can explain," said Stefan.

"Please," replied Bonnie.

Stefan looked at Phoebe, who shrugged. The two then looked at Bonnie, and said in unison, "We're gonna kill Katherine."

Bonnie gave them both a look.

"Okay, let me try this again...Katherine's demanding for us to turn over the moonstone tonight at the ball. But Jeremy, Anna, and I have been working on a plan to take her down at the ball for the past two weeks," Phoebe explained.

"Wait, if she's just now demanded you hand it over at the ball, then how did you know to plan for that?" Bonnie questioned.

"Because she's Phoebe," Stefan answered, simply. Phoebe gave him a smile, which he returned.

Bonnie seemed to accept that answer, because anyone who really knew her would; but she still seemed troubled.

"What is it?" Stefan asked.

"I know you love Elena and you wanna be with her, but it's risky. Too many people can get hurt," replied Bonnie.

"Look, I want Elena back, yes. But it's more than that. What Katherine did to Jenna crossed a line," said Stefan.

"She has to be stopped before it happens again," Phoebe added.

Bonnie still seemed leery, "I don't know, Phoebe."

"Okay, look, Katherine knows Stefan and Damon. She knows that, although Damon would go at her without caring who got hurt, Stefan won't try anything in a crowd full of innocent people for that very reason. So that gives us an edge. She also doesn't know the rest of us, or what we can accomplish if we work together," Phoebe told her. When she stopped, she made a funny face, "Holy crap, I sound like one of those hippie counselors at summer camp."

Stefan gave a light chuckle, "The point is, we can catch her by surprise, because she doesn't know what to expect from us all working together."

Phoebe gestured to Stefan, and noted, "Much better phrasing."

"Thank you," he replied.

Bonnie took a deep breath, and caved, "What would you need me to do?"

"We have a plan to lure her away from everyone at the party, and isolate her. But there's nothing to stop her from running away and hurting someone," Stefan began.

"If you could do some kind of barrier spell, like the tomb – where you can go in, but not out – that would be perfect," Phoebe finished.

Bonnie nodded, "Okay."

"Are you guys sure you don't want me there tonight?" Rick asked, having finished instructing the others on his weapons.

"No, you need to stay home with Jenna and Elena," Phoebe answered. "You shouldn't have to distract them too much. Elena will be too focused on taking care of Jenna, and Jenna will be too focused on how unhappy she is about my dad staying there."

"Yeah, speaking of John, what did you tell him you were doing tonight?" Rick asked.

"I told him and Jenna that Damon and I were dragging Stefan to the ball to try and cheer him up," she answered.

"Alright. If anybody wants to back out, I'll understand," said Stefan.

"Yeah, cold feet speak now. I don't want this going wrong because someone chickens out," Damon agreed. He gave a grin to Caroline, "Caroline?"

"I won't," replied Caroline. "She killed me. Fair's fair. As long as there are no werewolves running around."

"Oh, I took care of Mason," said Damon.

"And as long as Tyler doesn't kill anyone – he won't turn," Jeremy added.

"Bonnie? You with us?" Stefan asked.

Bonnie nodded, "But no one gets hurt."

"Except Katherine," said Phoebe.

"Tonight Katherine gets a stake through her heart," Damon added.

"Well, now that that's over with, where should we get ready for the ball?" Phoebe asked. "I can't get ready at my house, because I'll get bombarded with questions from Jenna, Elena, and my dad."

"You can get ready here," said Damon.

Phoebe furrowed her eyebrows, "I still have to shower, and – no offense – but I don't really wanna go to the ball smelling like your manly bodywash."

Damon just gave her a grin, and gestured for her to follow him. As he passed by Anna, he remarked, "You, too."

Damon lead Phoebe and Anna – and Jeremy, who had followed Anna – upstairs to a couple of bedrooms right next to one another. He looked at Anna, "Phoebe mentioned that you had nowhere to stay, permanently. And since John's gonna be staying at the Gilbert house for a while, it means it won't be so easy to stay there unnoticed."

"So we decided to let you have one of the six other bedrooms in here," Stefan added, joining them.

"What? Really?" Anna asked.

Damon opened the door for her, and her jaw dropped. The room was huge, and all hers. The only thing they did was put in a bed, a dresser, and a vanity.

Anna hugged the boys, "Thank you!"

Anna and Jeremy stepped inside her new room to look around at its potential.

"That was a nice – if not delayed – gesture," Phoebe commented.

Damon rolled his eyes, "This one's yours."

"What?" Phoebe asked in confusion.

Damon opened the door to the neighboring room, and Phoebe's eyes widened like a cartoon character. Dazed, she stepped slowly inside and looked around. Straight back was a fireplace with a mirror hanging above it. In front of the fireplace was a small couch – presumably for reading – and to the right of the fireplace were two large bookcases, filled with books. Along the left wall was a king-size four-poster bed, with a chest at the foot of it, a night stand on either side, then the bathroom. Along the right wall was a wardrobe, a vanity, and doors to her balcony. And next to the door was a desk and an easel for her to do her art.

Phoebe walked further into the room, and looked into the bathroom. The bathroom was almost exactly like Damon's. The only difference was the shower. Her shower was practically in a room of it's own, with a glass door and a window. The shower walls were done in stone masonry, as was the floor of it, and it had multiple heads – like Damon's.

Phoebe looked back at the boys, and tried to ask them why they would do all of this for her, but she couldn't seem to form the words.

Damon smiled, "I started working on this after you fell in love with my room. I figured if you were gonna be sleeping over as much as you were starting to, you should have your own room."

"Thank you. Both of you," Phoebe managed to say.

"Don't thank me, it was all Damon. I just cleared out a room for Anna," said Stefan.

"And you see how much nicer my work is," Damon teased.

Phoebe laughed, and hugged him, "Thank you. Now, not to seem ungrateful, but I have to go make Caroline's day."

Stefan and Damon both gave her a confusing look.

"I don't want Katherine to recognize me at the ball, and there's only one way to ensure that," Phoebe began. "I need to let Caroline pick out my outfit for tonight."

"What?!" Caroline shouted from downstairs. In a flash she flitted into Phoebe's room, "Do you mean it?"

"Yes. Your life-long dream is finally becoming true," Phoebe answered.

Caroline got all giddy, before dragging Phoebe away to go shopping. Their first stop, though, was the Gilbert house. The dropped Jeremy off to get ready at home, and so he could do something for Phoebe. Inside, he went into their bathroom and gathered Phoebe's shower stuff. He brought it to her room, where Anna was packing a bag for Phoebe – just a change of underwear, her makeup, her contacts, and her purse. Jeremy tossed in Phoebe's shower stuff – shampoo, conditioner, and shower gel – and Anna hopped out of the window with the bag.

While they were doing all of that, Katherine helped her witch friend pick out a dress for the ball, out of the dozen or so she'd bought. She also informed her friend that she was going to be impersonating her doppelganger at the party – which was why she was straightening her hair. Her friend asks her why she wants the moonstone back so badly, guessing she wants her to break the curse. Katherine refuses to confirm, nor deny, the guess. She simply suggests they focus on getting the moonstone first.

Shopping with Caroline was exactly what Phoebe thought it would be...a nightmare. All Caroline needed was Phoebe's dress size and shoe size, and she went nuts. All Phoebe had to do was help Anna and Bonnie pick out a dresses for themselves, while Caroline seemed to grab one of everything in the store for Phoebe to try on. After loading all the dresses and shoes into the largest dressing room stall, she instructed Phoebe what to try on – what dress and what shoes to go with it. And somehow – because she's a great multitasker – Caroline was trying on dresses of her own, while Phoebe modeled.

In the end, the dress Caroline picked for Phoebe wasn't so bad. Bonnie and Anna liked it too. Even Phoebe seemed to like it. It was a black, sleeveless/strapless dress, with peacock tail feather designs at the top. The skirt went down to her knees in the front, and had a train that went down to the floor in the back. Her shoes were peacock green sandal heels, with black rhinestones.

Caroline's dress was a mid-thigh, one shoulder dress. Bonnie also had a one shoulder, mid-thigh dress, but her's was black and white swirls. Anna's was a backless, red dress, with an asymmetrical skirt. She and Caroline picked out similar black, ankle-high sandal heels to go with their dresses; where Bonnie had some simple pumps. Their masks, however, seemed to differ more. Caroline picked a gold mask on a stick, while the other three had black, wire-framed masks that needed to be tied on. Bonnie's had multicolored jewels on hers, Anna's had red jewels, and Phoebe's had peacock feathers on it.

After their shopping expedition, the four girls returned to the Salvatore Boarding House to get ready for the ball. They all showered, painted their nails, and then moved on to make-up. Caroline did Phoebe's for her. She layered her eye shadow with the colors on a peacock's tail – green, blue, purple. After that, she did Phoebe's hair. She straightened it, like Elena's, and then fixed it up into a loose bun, with a couple of strands hanging down in front of each ear.

After getting her dress on, Phoebe grabbed her shoes and mask, and headed downstairs. Rick had left something in his bag of weapons for her, and she needed to get it while everyone was busy getting ready. Inside Rick's bag was a hidden liner. Phoebe opened it, and took out a thigh garter with several small, wooden throwing knives attached. Phoebe quickly put the garter on, before anyone came downstairs and saw her, then sat down to put on her shoes. Just as she was finishing that, Stefan came down the stairs.

"Hey," Stefan greeted, walking closer. "How did Caroline do?"

Phoebe stood up and faced him, so he could see.

"Wow. She did...awesome," he told her.

Phoebe smiled, "Thank you. Could you help me with my mask?"

"Sure."

Phoebe turned away, and held her mask to her face. Stefan took the strings, and carefully tied the mask to her face.

"Thanks," said Phoebe, turning back around.

"I was wondering – I know we did the blood thing already this morning-" Stefan began.

Phoebe finished his thought for him, "But maybe we should do it again, since we're going up against Katherine tonight?"

"Yeah."

"Well, you've been doing good the past two and a half weeks, so it would seem like it'd be okay to give you a second dose today. But it might also be what sends you over the deep end into Ripper City. You would know better than me what you can and can't handle," she replied.

Stefan thought for a moment, then answered, "I think it'd be okay."

"Okay. But I don't have my bottle of cough syrup with me," she told him.

He laughed, "That's okay. Damon has an entire freezer in the basement full of blood bags, remember?"

"Right. Bring me a whole bag. I'll make glasses for Damon, Anna, and Caroline," said Phoebe.

Stefan nodded, then disappeared for less than a minute. When he appeared again, he was standing next to her, and he had a blood bag with him. Phoebe gathered three glasses from the liquor tray, and began filling them with blood.

"You, I just realized something," Stefan noted. "Your cough syrup bottle is for grape flavored cough syrup. Grape is usually purple, not red."

"...It was all we had," Phoebe replied. She squeezed a couple of drops out of the bag into a fourth glass, and then filled it with alcohol. As she handed him the glass with the alcohol, Damon and the other girls came down the stairs.

Damon gave Phoebe a wolf whistle, "Wow. You look...beyond words."

Phoebe blushed, and handed him a glass of blood. Damon smirked, as he looked her over, and drank his blood. Phoebe didn't notice, because she was handing Anna and Caroline each a glass.

While the group finished up and headed for the ball, Tyler and his mother talk in his father's old office. Tyler apologizes for his behavior lately, and just wishes Mason would come back. Carol tells her son that Mason is the exact opposite of his father – coming and going on a whim – and he isn't likely to come back anytime soon.

Elsewhere, Katherine and her witch friend arrive at the party. One of the jesters at the door, watches Katherine very closely, as she walks by. Katherine and her friend go off in separate directions, and Katherine bumps into Matt. He mistakes her for Elena – which is what she was going for – but doesn't play the part. Instead, she compels him to pick a fight with Tyler Lockwood, and not back down until Tyler kills him.

Meanwhile, Phoebe and the Salvatore brothers look around for Katherine, while the rest of the gang splits up to do their own things. The three – Phoebe, Damon, and Stefan – go their separate ways to look for Katherine, but eventually end up in the same spot.

"You see her?" Damon asked, joining his brother on the stone stairs in the backyard.

"Nope," Stefan answered. "You sure you can do this?"

"Pft! Who you talkin' to?" Damon scoffed.

"I had the chance to kill her and I hesitated," said Stefan.

"Well, that is the fork in the road between you and me, my friend. I don't hesitate," said Damon.

"Oh, I don't know. You only spent 145 years loving her," said Phoebe, stepping in between the two. "It could happen."

Damon looked at her, seriously, "I won't hesitate."

Phoebe and Stefan both let it go, after that. Stefan walked away to continue his search for Katherine, leaving Damon and Phoebe alone on the stairs.

Damon stepped down a few steps, and stood in front of Phoebe, hand out-stretched, "Well, Miss Gilbert, would you care for a dance?"

A smile spread across Phoebe's lips, as she took his hand, "I'd love to, Mr. Salvatore."

While the two danced, Matt went to work getting Tyler drunk in his dad's old office, with a Aimee and Sarah. After a few shots, the girls lured them out to dance. Elsewhere, Jeremy, Anna, and Bonnie sneak upstairs to find somewhere for the brothers to lure Katherine. They find the perfect room, and get to work. Bonnie starts working on the spell to keep Katherine trapped in the room, while Jeremy and Anna place Rick's weapons all around the room.

Meanwhile, back at the Gilbert house, Elena serves up some pizza for herself, Jenna, Rick, and John.

"Where's Jeremy? Isn't he hungry?" Elena asked.

"He already left for the Lockwood party," said Jenna.

"He went to that?" Elena questioned.

"Mhmm. And I'm glad. He needs to have more fun. Lose some of that emo thing," answered Jenna.

Elena looked at Rick suspiciously, "But Jeremy hates stuff like that."

"Yeah, apparently Anna wanted to go, so he went with her," said Rick.

"What about Phoebe? She hasn't been home all day," Elena noted.

"She went with Damon," John answered.

Elena thought about it, and realized that there was nothing fishy about that. Her brother may hate going to these parties, but he had a girlfriend that actually liked getting dressed up and going out sometimes. And Phoebe and Damon were working on rebuilding their friendship, so it made sense that they would be going together – even though Phoebe hated these parties, too. Having no reason to be suspicious of her siblings' absences, she moved on.

Back at the party, Bonnie finishes her spell, and the trio return downstairs, and split up. Bonnie gets a weird vibe, and finds it coming from the other witch at the party. She asks the woman if they know each other, but the witch claims she doesn't know anyone there, and walks away.

Elsewhere, Katherine finds Stefan, and demands he dance with her. Stefan tells her no, but upon her threat to kill a random person at the party, he reluctantly agrees to dance with her. As they dance, they argue about how to get Katherine the moonstone. She wants him to bring it to her, but he insists that she accompany him to retrieve it. To further motivate Stefan to play things her way, Katherine breaks Aimee Bradley's spine, as she passes by looking for Matt; leaving Stefan to take care of the dead body.

Stefan hides Aimee in the trunk of his car, and tracks down his brother. He wants to call the plan off, before Katherine hurts someone else. Damon talks him out of it by noting that there was bound to be some collateral damage, but in the end it's worth it; because this woman ruined their lives, and she's still manipulating them, and toying with their lives. It all has to stop, and it has to stop tonight.

While on the dance floor with Anna, Jeremy receives a text from Damon to proceed with the plan. Anna wishes him luck, and he sets out to find Katherine. He finds her arguing with her witch friend – for not telling her that there would be another witch at the party – and asks to speak to his "sister" alone. When the witch leaves, Jeremy tells Katherine that Stefan and Damon are waiting to give her the moonstone by the edge of the lake, near the woods. After delivering his message, he walks away. Once he's out of her sight, he texts Caroline to tell her that it's her turn.

Caroline gets Jeremy's message, and heads to an isolated area of the house, so Katherine can follow her. She does. She pins Caroline against the wall and asks her what Stefan and Damon are up to. Caroline feigns ignorance, but Katherine lifts her up by her throat, and asks again. Caroline caves, telling her that they're planning to kill her. She figured as much, but wants to know where the moonstone is. Caroline tells her that it's upstairs with Bonnie.

Katherine drags Caroline – by her hair – upstairs with her. Caroline directs her to the room Bonnie enchanted, and Katherine goes inside, releasing Caroline on the way. As Katherine looks around, Caroline begins to laugh, and gloat that she tricked Katherine Pierce.

Angry, Katherine charges at her, but can't leave the room, "What the?"

Caroline smiles smugly at her.

Sensing someone behind her, Katherine turned around, "Stefan."

"Hello, Katherine," Stefan greeted her.

"Goodbye, Katherine," said Caroline, with a wave. As she walked away, she texted Phoebe to let her know Katherine was now trapped in the room.

Phoebe was downstairs with Anna and Jeremy. When she read the text, she beamed with excitement, "Yes! Katherine's trapped in the room. It worked!"

The three of them exchanged congratulatory high-fives.

"We should celebrate," said Anna.

"I'd rather wait until I personally see her dedicated corpse burning to ashes," said Phoebe, heading upstairs.

"Wait, where are you going?" Jeremy asked.

"Like I said: I want to see Katherine dead with my own eyes," Phoebe answered, continuing up the stairs.

"You don't really think you can kill me with that, now do you?" Katherine asked, walking closer to Stefan.

"No," said Stefan looking down at the steak in his hands. Damon opened the closet door he was hiding in, and aimed Rick's air compression steak gun at her. Stefan gestured to his brother, "But he can."

Damon shot Katherine in the back with a steak, going through her left scapula. Katherine fumbled, dropping a little closer to the ground, but quickly recovered. Phoebe, on the other hand, was not to fortunate.

Back on the stairs, Phoebe fell forward onto the stairs, crying out in pain. Blood began pouring down her back. Anna heard her fall and cry out, and looked back at the stairs.

"What is it?" Jeremy asked, seeing her so alert.

"It's Phoebe," she replied simply, taking off in a blur. Jeremy ran after her.

Back in the room, Stefan took a stab at Katherine with the steak he had. She turned away, and he grazed her right arm. On the stairs, Phoebe's right arm opened up, and began bleeding. Phoebe bit back the pain, not wanting to draw attention to herself from the party-goers.

"Phoebe, what happened?" Anna asked, reaching her side.

"I don't-I don't know," Phoebe replied, through gritted teeth.

"Anna!" Jeremy called, racing up the stairs. When he saw Phoebe, he became even more alarmed. "Oh, my god, Phoebe. Who did this?"

Phoebe shook her head, "No one."

A light bulb went on for Anna, "Oh, my god, she's linked you."

"What?" Jeremy questioned.

"There's no time to explain. You've gotta get to that room and stop the Salvatores from killing Katherine," Anna ordered. "Now!"

Jeremy took off.

"Anna...it hurts..." Phoebe muttered, through gritted teeth.

Anna did the only thing she could think to do. She grabbed Phoebe's hands, "Give me your pain."

"W-What?"

"I know we haven't worked on that, but you can do it. Just project your pain onto me," Anna coached. "Come on, you know I can take it."

Phoebe tightened her grip and focused on sharing her pain with Anna.

Meanwhile, back in the room, Katherine shoves Stefan aside. Damon pulls the steak out of her back, and tries to put it through her heart, but she blocks him, and tosses him across the room. Stefan throws a steak at Katherine, but she ducks and it goes into the wall. He throws another one, but she catches it and throws it back at him. Stefan ducks, as she did, causing it to go into the wall. Damon goes at her again, but she throws him over a chair. He recovers quickly, and charges her again. She twists his hand to point the steak at his own heart, and begins pushing his hand towards him. Damon fights her, but she's much stronger than he is. Just as the tip of the steak begins to touch his chest, Stefan grabs Katherine from behind, and yanks her backwards, falling through a table. He holds her there, while Damon charges with his steak.

Damon is about to end it all, once and for all, when Jeremy arrives, "Stop! You're hurting Phoebe! Everything you're doing to her is hurting Phoebe."

Damon furrowed his eyebrows, and backed away. Stefan released his grip on Katherine, and they both got to their feet.

"You two think you're the only ones with a witch on your side?" Katherine asked, rhetorically. "Wrong. And something tells me that my witch is better than your witch."

Damon was dumbfounded. He didn't know how to respond, because all he could think about was whether or not what he had already done had severely hurt Phoebe.

"Jeremy, go check on Phoebe. Make sure she's okay," Stefan ordered.

"Phoebe's fine," said Phoebe. She was leaning on Anna a little bit, as she came into view. "Go find Bonnie, and tell her what's going on. Maybe she can unlink us."

Jeremy nodded, and left to find Bonnie.

"Let's all make sure poor Phoebe's okay," said Katherine in annoyance. Katherine picked up one of the many steaks that were thrown, and began cutting her left hand open, "Just apply a little bit of pressure..."

Phoebe released Anna to cradle her left hand. Stefan knocked the steak out of Katherine's hand. They all looked to Phoebe, but she wasn't crying in pain. She was...laughing?

Phoebe stood up straight again, and looked at Katherine – who wasn't happy that she wasn't on the flooring crying, "What's the matter Katherine? Jealous that they don't care about you that way anymore?"

Katherine glowered at her, as she picked up another steak, and aimed it at her abdomen, "This is really gonna hurt."

"Don't!" Damon cried. He and Stefan braced themselves to stop her.

Thankfully, she stopped on her own, and sat down on the couch, "Okay. So how about that moonstone?"

Elsewhere, Jeremy finds Bonnie and tells her about Katherine having another witch link her to Phoebe. Bonnie instantly remembers the woman from earlier, and seeks her out to have her undo the linking.

Back upstairs, Damon's moved over to the doorway to see Phoebe. He looked her in the eye, and – without words – asked her if she was sure she was okay. Phoebe gave him a small smile, that said she was okay.

"The three of us together, just like old times," Katherine remarked. "The brother that loved me too much, and the brother that didn't love me enough."

"And the evil slut vampire, who only loved herself," Damon added. Phoebe laughed.

"What happened to you, Damon? You used to be so sweet and polite," Katherine asked.

"Oh, he still is. Just not to the – how did you put it? – evil slut vampire that only loves herself," Phoebe replied, bitterly. Katherine glared.

"Oh, why don't you two stop antagonizing each other," said Stefan.

Katherine looked up at Stefan, "Where's the moonstone?"

"What do you want with it?" Stefan asked.

Katherine avoided the question, and instead turned the tables around on Phoebe, "Do you enjoy having both of them worship at your altar?"

Phoebe furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, and the brothers gave a light chuckle.

"Well, that was desperate," Damon scoffed.

"Don't you think that we can see right through you?" Stefan added.

Katherine looked at Damon, "So it doesn't bother you that Stefan's falling in love with your girl?"

"Okay, first of all, I'm not one's girl. Secondly, Stefan's in love with my sister, not me. So stop trying to stir up drama, where there is none," said Phoebe.

"Or what, you'll hurt me?" Katherine questioned. She got to her feet, and stepped closer to Phoebe, "Come on, Phoebe. You feel everything that I feel. So go ahead."

Phoebe rolled her eyes out of boredom.

Katherine came up with an idea, and gasped, "Or better yet. Kiss me, Stefan. You know you wanna know what it'd be like."

Phoebe leaned in, "I'm not you, Katherine."

"You know this whole Mason thing has me confused," said Stefan, changing the topic. "Why a werewolf. The moonstone can break a curse that would help them destroy all vampires, so...what's in that for you?"

Katherine hesitated to answer, so Damon chimed in, "Sorry about your pet wolf. Maybe you shoulda kept him on a tighter leash."

"I'll have to remember that for next time," Katherine replied. "He's not the only wolf in town."

Meanwhile, in the Mayor's old office, Matt has succeeded in getting Tyler somewhat drunk. Now it's time to get him angry. He pours alcohol all over his dad's desk, and then on a photo of his parents. Tyler tries to resolve the situation calmly, but Matt won't quit. He brings up how Tyler's dad used to hit him, and slaps him. Tyler tries to keep his cool, but Matt keeps on. Even Sarah tries telling Matt that he's being mean, but he doesn't seem to care. He charges Tyler, and starts throwing punches.

Caroline passes by and hears the boys fighting, with her vampire hearing. She runs into the room, and pulls the boys apart. Matt tries to get around her to keep hitting Tyler, but Caroline won't let him. She knocks him out with an elbow to the face. She checks on him, to make sure she didn't hit him too hard. While she does, Sarah mutters something about having to finish the job, if Matt failed; and attacks Tyler with a letter opener. Tyler shoves her away, and she hits the edge of the desk, breaking her neck.

Tyler falls to his knees at her side, begging for her not to be dead. He steps away from her body, freaking out. Caroline checks Sarah for pulse, but there is none. Tyler soon falls to the ground, as he feels the werewolf curse being triggered. Caroline becomes alarmed, and asks Tyler what's going on. He says nothing, as he looks up at her with his werewolf eyes.

Back upstairs, Damon leans against the doorway with Phoebe, as he wonders what's keeping Bonnie. Anna leaves to see what's taking them so long, since Phoebe seems to be okay now. Phoebe is hit with a thought, and pushes herself away from the doorway, "Ah-ha! I've got it."

"Got what?" Stefan asked.

"You bargained the moonstone," said Phoebe.

"What are you goin' on about?" Damon asked.

"When you made that deal with George Lockwood to help you fake your death, you told Stefan that you gave George something he needed. The moonstone," Phoebe went on.

"Very good, Phoebe. Two plus two. And it would've worked, except people found out that I wasn't in the tomb," said Katherine. She shot a look at Damon, "Thanks to you, by the way."

Damon gave a sarcastic smirk.

"Have I mentioned how inconvenient your obsession with me has been?" Katherine asked him.

"You and me both, honey," said Damon.

"Drop the condescending tone, I figured that out ages ago," said Phoebe.

"I don't get it. Why do you need it back?" Stefan asked Katherine.

Yet again, she avoided the question, "I love you in a suit. So dashing."

"What were you doing with it in the first place?" Stefan questioned.

"You're wasting your breath, Stefan," said Damon.

"That's what I just figured out," said Phoebe. "It wasn't hers to begin with."

Katherine looked at Phoebe, surprised and impressed.

"You faked your death in 1864," Phoebe went on. "You were running from someone."

Katherine remained mute.

"Who were you running from Katherine?" Stefan asked.

"In 1987 you were in Chicago at a concert – of all places – with that wench Lexi," said Katherine, inching closer to Stefan. Stefan said nothing. "Come on, Stefan, don't look so surprised. Of course I checked in on you over the years."

Phoebe can see Stefan growing uncomfortable, and Damon's becoming more angry/hurt by her lack of care for him.

"You were sitting in the front row, dancing all night. You were watching Bon Jovi, and I was watching you," Katherine went on.

Phoebe lifted her skirt, took out one of the wooden throwing knives, and threw it at Katherine. It hit her in the hip – because for a split second decision, it seemed like the safest place to hit her. It caught Katherine by surprise, and she stumbled. Phoebe had to prop herself against the doorway.

"Phoebe, what are you doing?" Stefan questioned, surprised by her action.

"Are you crazy? You know you're still linked to her," Damon scolded.

Phoebe held her now bleeding hip, "It was worth it."

Meanwhile, Bonnie finds the other witch. She explains to Bonnie that she has no choice but to help Katherine, because she saved her life once. She also tells Bonnie that she has no interest in fighting her, and all will be fine, as soon as she hands over the moonstone. Bonnie grabs her arm, and the witch reads Bonnie. She knows she has the stone. She takes Bonnie's hands and shows her that she can trust her through some witchy-connection.

Back in the room, Damon pours himself a drink.

"We're missing the party," Katherine sighed. She saw Damon, and added, "I'll have one of those."

"Right away, Miss Katherine," replied Damon in an old timey southern voice.

Phoebe smiled at the mental image of him when he was human. The sweet, innocent Damon that Katherine always claims he used to be.

Damon poured Katherine a glass, and handed it to her. She thanked him, and took a sip. Damon pinned her against the wall, and held a steak to her chest. Phoebe resisted the urge to enter the room, and pull him back.

Stefan ran over, and held his brother's hand back, "Damon, don't!"

"Yes, Damon, please," said Katherine, tauntingly.

"The second the spell's lifted, I'm gonna drive a steak right through your heart," Damon told her.

"God you're hot," Katherine replied. She petted his tie, "When did you get so hot?"

Damon shrugged his brother off of him, and stepped back from Katherine in disgust. Phoebe couldn't take it anymore. Katherine was pissing her off, and she couldn't just sit aside and let her continue to taunt Damon like she was. She marched right into the room, and had intended to punch Katherine in the face – despite that fact that it would hurt her hand more than Katherine's face – but Damon intercepted her, and held her back.

"Touch him again, I dare you," Phoebe challenged.

Katherine just laughed at the feisty little human.

"Katherine," said her witch friend, announcing her presence. She also had the moonstone in her hand. "The spell around this room has been lifted, you're free to leave."

"Thank god," Katherine mumbled, heading for the door.

"When I hand this over, my debt to you is over," said the witch.

"Done," Katherine agreed.

"I owe you nothing," the witch pressed.

"I said done," Katherine repeated. "Give it."

"I wouldn't do that," said Damon, still holding Phoebe. He'd tried releasing her, but Phoebe was so worked up that every time he tried she tried to go after Katherine.

The witch handed the moonstone over to Katherine, and something weird happened. Katherine began acting like she had been poisoned.

"You should've told me another witch was involved," said the witch. "She's a Bennett witch, Katherine, but I'm sure you knew that."

The brothers suddenly realized that Phoebe wasn't suffering like Katherine was, and looked at her to see if it was just a delayed reaction.

"Phoebe's fine. The spell's been broken," the witch informed them. "I apologize for my involvement."

Phoebe watched, as Katherine collapsed to the floor. Damon released her, and Phoebe pulled back her skirt to take out another knife. The witch left, and Phoebe moved closer to Katherine. She knelt down by her side, and looked her in the eye. Phoebe thrust the knife into Katherine's abdomen, and twisted it for extra damage, "That's for my dad and Aunt Jenna."

Katherine lost consciousness, and the brothers looked at Phoebe, surprised – yet again – by her actions.

Back downstairs, Caroline lies to Tyler's mom about what happened in the office. She tells her that Sarah was dancing around, drunk, and just trip. Tyler returns and informs his mother that the Sheriff's arrived, and she leaves to talk to her. After she leaves, Tyler asks Caroline why she's doing all of this, why she's helping him. She tells him that she's just trying to fix a very bad situation. Unfortunately, all Tyler can think about it what's going to happen to him now. Caroline tells him that she knows what killing her means for him, which surprises him.

Meanwhile, outside, Bonnie tries talking to the other witch. She doesn't understand why she trusted her enough to give her the moonstone. The witch explains that they're related – distantly – and that's why she felt she could trust her. She thanks Bonnie for giving her a wake-up call tonight, and declares she isn't going to let vampires control her anymore. Bonnie asks her how she's supposed to stay out of all the supernatural drama, because she desperately wants out of it. Unfortunately, the witch tells her that the middle is exactly where Bonnie is meant to be.

After her distant cousin leaves, Jeremy offers Bonnie a ride home, since Anna has to take care of Aimee Bradley's body. Bonnie is surprised to learn that Jeremy even has a license, but he merely points out that he isn't a little kid anymore. Bonnie accepts the offer, and follows him to his car.

Over at the Gilbert House, Stefan creeps into Elena's room to tell her the good news.

She was returning from the bathroom, when she saw him by her window, "Stefan? What are you doing here? If Katherine sees you-"

"Katherine's gone, we don't have to worry about her anymore," Stefan told her. He couldn't keep the smile from his face as he said it.

"What? How?" Elena questioned.

"It's a long story, but the point is, she can't hurt you anymore," he replied, moving closer to her. He reached out and held her face in his hands.

Elena stopped him, "Stefan...I..."

Stefan dropped his hands, and stepped back a little. Elena avoided his gaze.

"Katherine being gone doesn't change anything for you, does it?" he asked, afraid of the answer.

"I wanna be with you, Stefan, you know that," she began. "But first, I need to wake up and know that the people I love are safe. I need to feel safe. Do you understand?"

"Yeah," Stefan replied. Though he didn't actually. "Yeah, I-I-I understand."

Elena forced a comforting smile, and Stefan did the same. He then turned his back on her, and left through the window he'd come in. Once on the ground he became torn. Part of him wanted to be alone, but another part needed a friend. He decided it was better to go home – since Phoebe had had a long enough night – and wait until tomorrow to talk to his friend.

Meanwhile, at the tomb, Katherine wakes up to Damon closing her in. He'd tossed her inside, along with her precious moonstone.

"Where am I?" she asked him.

"Where you should've been all along," he replied. "I thought you woulda learned your lesson by now, messing with a Bennett witch."

"You should have killed me," Katherine snarled.

"Death would've been too kind," Damon snarled back. He started closing the door.

"No. Damon, don't," she pleaded. Damon ignored her. "No, Damon, you need me. Phoebe and Elena are in danger."

Damon stopped, "From who?"

Katherine said nothing.

"You're lying. You're always lying," he told her. He began closing the door again.

"Why do you think I haven't killed them?" Katherine asked. "Because one of them is the doppelganger, they need to be protected."

Damon stopped again, and remembered:

_"The woman. I saw her while I was...dead. She came to me, and told me about not being the doppelganger. She said she made me and Elena twins, so he couldn't tell the difference between us. So he wouldn't know which of us was the doppelganger."_

"Then we'll protect them," said Damon. "While you rot in hell."

Despite Katherine's continuous pleas and declarations of Damon supposedly needing her, Damon closed the door on Katherine Pierce. Part of Damon felt really good after that. Like closing the door on that chapter of his life. But another part of him was still hurt about the things Katherine had said to him that night. He'd played it off as not caring, but on the inside her words stung. Phoebe always seemed to make him feel better, but she'd had a long enough night. He decided it better to let her get some sleep, and just go see her tomorrow.

Meanwhile, back at the Lockwood's, Phoebe was on her way to her car, when the same jester that had been eyeing Katherine earlier that night, stalked her. Phoebe got the feeling she was being followed, and turned around to find no one there. She shrugged it off as just being tired, and turned back to leave, but the jester was there. He knocked her out, and took her away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, there it is, guys. Stefan and Damon both could have found out Phoebe was missing early on and gotten a head start, had they not opted to wait to see her until tomorrow. Ugh! Boys...
> 
> What do you think about Phoebe's newfound dark side creeping through? What will Damon think of it? Or Stefan? Will Phoebe still have her cool new wooden throwing knives to use on Trevor, Rose, and Elijah? Or will someone think to pat her down? Or will she choose not to use them? What will Phoebe's first meeting with Elijah be like? What will her first impression of him be? What will his first impression of her be? Who will discover that Phoebe is missing? Once she's home safe, will Damon finally tell Phoebe he loves her? Will Phoebe say it first? Or will Damon screw things up, yet again? How will Phoebe handle hearing that Tyler's triggered his werewolf curse? How will Phoebe deal with the upcoming wolves? How will things be different with John staying at the Gilbert House? Will Phoebe be able to figure out that Klaus is possessing Rick, before the dance?
> 
> Tell me what you think so far, what you think will happen, and/or what you'd like to see happen. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter – I worked really hard on it.


	30. Rose

Chapter 30: Rose

The morning after being kidnapped, Phoebe was taken to a secluded roadside and passed over to a vampire in a black, tinted SUV. After the pass-off, the vampire killed the man who had brought Phoebe to him, and left him behind. Though Phoebe had no knowledge of any of this, because she was still unconscious.

Meanwhile, at the Gilbert house, Stefan drops by for his daily dose of blood, but Phoebe isn't there. He looks around the room, but nothing appears to be out of place, so he assumes she's left early to check on Damon, after having to endure Katherine rubbing salt into his old wounds last night.

" _Of course that's where she'd be,_ " Stefan thought to himself. " _As far as she knows, Elena and I are back together. She's probably trying to give us some time alone together…I guess I'll just have to get my daily blood from her at school._ "

Stefan took the hidden cough syrup bottle out from under Phoebe's bed, and tossed it in his backpack. After taking one last look at the room, he left her room, and headed for school.

Elsewhere, Damon's heard about Tyler triggering his werewolf curse last night, and seeks out Caroline to learn what really happened last night. Caroline tells him what happened, while she gets ready for school. She also gives herself a big pat on the back for thinking quick on her feet, and covering up any supernatural involvement in Sarah's death. On her way out, Damon warns her not to make friends with Tyler, because one bite from a werewolf can kill a vampire. He also tells her that if she wants to drop a hint to her mother about where Aimee Bradley's body is, it might save her some time. He then sends her on her way, and heads out himself.

Later at school, Tyler is unnerved by the missing flyers for Aimee, and the shrine that Sarah's friends have put together at her locker. His tense nerves meet with his newfound supernatural strength, and he breaks the lock off of his own locker.

Elsewhere, Stefan searches for Phoebe, but he can't seem to find her. She wasn't at her locker, or with Matt, and she isn't already in class. Stefan walked away from the classroom, and called Phoebe. There was no answer.

"Hey, Stefan," Jeremy called, approaching him.

"Hey, have you seen Phoebe?" Stefan asked.

"Not the sister I thought you'd be askin' about," Jeremy joked. "Uh, no, I haven't. I was actually about to ask you if you've seen her."

"I haven't seen her since the party last night," said Stefan.

"Same here," said Jeremy. He took out his phone to call his sister, but Stefan stopped him.

"I just tried that. It goes straight to voicemail," Stefan told him.

"Has Damon seen her? Maybe she's with him," Jeremy suggested.

"There's only one way to find out," Stefan mumbled, calling his brother. The moment Damon answered, Stefan told him, "Tell me you're with Phoebe right now."

"I wish I could, brother," Damon replied. "But I can't seem to find her. She isn't answering her phone."

"Yeah, that seems to be the running theme. No one's seen her since the party last night," said Stefan. The only response Stefan received from his brother was the sound of tires screeching against the pavement. "Damon?"

Damon had been passing by the Lockwood's, and saw that Phoebe's car was still sitting in their driveway. He turned back to investigate, and found her mask on the ground next to the car. Damon swore.

"Damon, what's going on?" Stefan questioned.

"She's gone. Phoebe's gone," Damon answered.

"What do you mean 'gone'?" Stefan asked.

"I mean her car is still sitting here in the Lockwood driveway," Damon answered. "Someone took her."

"Who would do that?" Stefan wondered.

Damon swore again, "We've been so focused on Katherine, we completely forgot about the 'he' that's supposedly coming for her."

"Calm down, I don't think that's who took her," said Stefan. "The prophecy says 'he' is supposed to get rid of the non-doppelganger. 'He' wouldn't have taken her for that, 'he' would've just killed her, and left her there."

"Well, who else would wanna take her, Stefan?" Damon questioned.

"I don't know, but we'll figure it out. Meet me in the high school parking lot," Stefan told him, and hung up.

Meanwhile, in the middle of nowhere, the vampire Phoebe was given to carries her inside. He brings her down to a now empty inside swimming room, and sets her down on a couch. As he begins to untie her bindings, Phoebe begins to wake up.

"Where am I?" she groaned, looking around her.

"Shh," the vampire shushed.

As Phoebe looked up at him, his face began to change. He was looking at the blood Phoebe was covered in, and was becoming hungry. Phoebe carefully removed one of her knives, and hid it in her hands.

"Just a taste," said the vampire. He had an English accent, and seemed to be talking to himself, more than her.

The vampire lunged forward, preparing to bite Phoebe, but fangs never made contact. Phoebe jabbed the knife into his throat, and shoved him aside. She got off of the couch, and headed for the exit. Unfortunately, she was stopped by a female vampire, blocking her path.

Phoebe gave a defeated sigh, "Monkeys…"

The male vampire took the knife out of his throat, and tossed it aside. He looked at Phoebe, and prepared to charge at her, but the female vampire stopped him.

"Trevor! Control yourself," she told him. She had an English accent, too.

Trevor glared at both girls, as he walked by to leave the room, "Buzz kill."

After he left, the female vampire looked Phoebe over in amazement, "My god, you look just like her."

"Yeah, I get that a lot," Phoebe replied. "The thing is, though, I'm not Katherine. So whatever she did to piss you off-"

"I know who you are, Phoebe Gilbert, and I have no interest in Katarina," said the woman, cutting her off.

"Katarina?" Phoebe questioned. "No one's called her that in a very long time. Which either makes you close friends – which I doubt – or you must be at least as old as she is."

The vampire smiled, "You're very perceptive, for someone so young."

"I get that a lot, too," Phoebe remarked.

"You're free to move about the house, but a word of warning – there's nothing around for miles, so should you try to escape, again, you will fail," said the woman. Phoebe nodded in understanding, and the woman left her alone.

Back at the high school, Jeremy and the Salvatore brothers discuss what could've happened to Phoebe.

"This has Katherine written all over it," said Stefan.

"Katherine's in the tomb. Trust me, I'm the one that shut her in," Damon replied, dismissively.

"Did you?" Jeremy questioned.

Damon gave him a look, "Did I what, Gilbert?"

"Well, we all know the hold Katherine has over you," said Jeremy. "This wouldn't be the first time you let her get under your skin, and hurt my sister."

"She's in the tomb. Period. End of story," Damon sniped. "But she did say something to me right before I shut her in…I thought she was lying!"

Stefan looked at his brother curiously, "What did she say?"

"She said Phoebe and Elena were in danger," Damon answered.

"What, and you didn't think you should ask her to elaborate?" Stefan questioned, surprised that Damon had kept this to himself.

"Everything she says is a lie! How am I supposed to know she was gonna start spouting out the truth?" Damon defended.

"We need to go talk to her," said Jeremy.

"No, no. Let me tell you how that's gonna go: we're gonna go ask her for help, and she's gonna negotiate her release, which we're gonna be dumb enough to give her, and she's gonna get out! And kill us," Damon explained. "It's exactly what she wants!"

"I don't really care," said Stefan.

"It's a bad idea, Stefan," Damon argued.

Stefan looked his brother in the eye, and simply said, "It's Phoebe."

Damon eyed his brother suspiciously.

"You're both right," said Jeremy. "We need to do whatever it takes to get Phoebe back, but we can't trust Katherine."

"She's the only one who can help us, Jeremy," Stefan argued.

"That's what Katherine wants us to think. She wants us to go to her for help, so she can negotiate for her release," Jeremy argued back. "But there has to be another option. If Phoebe were here, she would see it."

"Well, unfortunately, Phoebe _isn't_ here," Damon pointed out.

"Then we need to think like Phoebe," said Stefan.

"Exactly!" Jeremy agreed.

"And how do we do that?" Damon questioned. "She literally a genius."

"We take a step back, and look this objectively," Stefan answered. "Look down all possible roads, and map out every possible outcome."

"Put all emotion aside, and think logically," Jeremy added.

"Okay. Let's think like Phoebe Gilbert. Girl-genius," said Damon.

Elsewhere, Tyler tries talking to Caroline about last night, but she keeps deflecting and playing dumb. She asks him how he and his mother are doing, trying to steer the conversation away from the supernatural, but it doesn't work. Tyler asks her how she knew about him, but Caroline only pretends not to know what he's talking about, and walks away.

Back at the old house, Phoebe wanders around, exploring. It was a beautiful house. Albeit old, boarded up, and dusty; but it was still beautiful. She also found that whoever lived there before must've like books, because there were hundreds of them laying around, collecting dust.

After sifting through some of the old books, Phoebe's lungs alerted her to just how much dust she was inhaling, by giving her a pretty bad cough. Phoebe put down the books and set out to find the kitchen. Hopefully, there would be some kind of cup still in there that she could use to get a drink of water from the faucet. Hopefully, there would be running water to get from the faucet. Unfortunately, the only glasses still in the kitchen were either broken, or far too dirty to just be rinsed out. It was safer for her to drink out of her own hands.

Phoebe walked over to the sink, and turned on the water. The news was that there was water, the bad news was the water was brown. Phoebe decided to let the water run for a while, in the hope that the water would eventually run clear. But even this plan had a kink in it. Something was clogging the drain, preventing the sink from draining. Phoebe turned off the faucet, with a heavy sigh – which lead her to cough some more. Once she'd stopped, she heard Trevor and the female vampire talking from somewhere else in the house.

"So you called him?" Trevor asked.

"No. I called one of his contacts," she replied. "You know how this works."

Trevor sounded annoyed as he rephrased his question, "Did you or did you not get he message to Elijah?"

" _Elijah? Who's Elijah?_ " Phoebe thought.

"They say he got it," replied the female vampire.

"Wonderful. And what?" Trevor asked.

"So, that's it, Trevor. It either got it, or he didn't. We just have to wait," replied the woman.

"Look, it's not too late. We can leave her here. We don't have to go through with this," Trevor rambled.

"I'm sick of running," said the woman.

"Yeah? Well, running keeps us from dying, Rose," Trevor replied.

" _Finally!_ " Phoebe thought. " _A name to go with the face._ "

"Elijah's old school. If he accepts our deal, we're free," Rose told him.

" _Now I've got a name with no face. One mystery solved, and another to take its place,_ " Phoebe thought. She leaned over the sink, and stared into the brown water, " _Who is this Elijah they seem so afraid of? I wish there was some way to find out,_ _ **before**_ _he gets here...I could ask them – no, they'd never tell me…I could make them tell me. But how? There's two of them, and only_ _ **one**_ _of me…*mental sigh* Come on, Phoebe, think. How can you find out who this Elijah is?_ "

As Phoebe thought the things, the water in the sink began to ripple. At first, she thought it was her breathing causing the ripples, but as she paid closer attention to her breathing, she realized that it wasn't that at all. She even tried holding her breath, but still there were ripples. She began looking around for some sign of vibration in the house, but there was none. Phoebe began to feel like she was inside of a horror movie. That any moment now, some kind of monster would reach out from the water and grab her. And after learning everything she had so far about the supernatural world, it wasn't really that big of a stretch to think something might come out of the water and grab her.

Phoebe started to back away slowly, while keeping two eyes on the sink. Before she could get too far away, the image of a man appeared in the dirty water, like Dumbledore's pensieve. At first glance, Phoebe couldn't help but notice that this man was very handsome – he had a nice smile. Phoebe stepped a little closer, and noticed that the man in the image was from a time long since past. He had long, brown hair that went past his shoulders, and brown eyes. He wore pants, boots, a sleeveless shirt, and wrist cuffs that all appeared to have been made from various animal skins and furs. Were it not for the brown hair and eyes, Phoebe would've guessed he was some sort of Viking.

Phoebe moved even closer to the sink for a better look. This was definitely strange, but also…cool. And this man – whoever he was – was certainly intriguing. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but there was something about him…

" _Wait a minute. Is this…_ _ **Elijah**_ _?_ " Phoebe wondered. " _It has to be. I was wondering who this person was, just before this image appeared…and only a vampire as old as this man looks to be could scare two vampires – who are at least 500 years old…but how-how is this possible? I'm an empath, not a witch. This is…divination! Holy Hera, I'm looking into the past!_ "

"What are you doing?" Trevor asked, from somewhere behind her.

Phoebe jumped and spun around, with a gasp. She looked at Trevor, then back at the sink. The man's image had gone. All that was left now was the stagnate, brown water. Phoebe looked back at Trevor, "I, uh…I was going to get some water, but it's…it's all dirty…"

Trevor looked at her oddly, as she walked out of the kitchen. Something was clearly on her mind. Trevor examined the sink, but found nothing remarkable about it. In fact, the water wasn't even dirty. It was as clear as crystal. He couldn't understand why she would claim it was dirty when it wasn't, or what had her so distracted; but he resided to her just being strange, and so moved on.

Meanwhile, Jeremy and Stefan track down Bonnie at school to ask her if there was some way to find Phoebe through magical means.

"I might be able to do a locator spell," Bonnie offered.

"Great. Let's do it," said Stefan.

"I'll need to draw energy from the blood of a close relative to do the spell," Bonnie forewarned.

"You can use mine," Jeremy volunteered.

Bonnie shook her head, "You're not close enough. Technically speaking, you're her cousin, not her brother. I need someone closer, like Elena or John. Elena would be preferable, since they're twins."

"I'll go get Elena, then," said Jeremy.

"I'll go get some weapons from Rick, and call Damon," said Stefan.

"And I'll go get the other things I'll need for the spell," said Bonnie.

"We'll meet you in Rick's class," replied Stefan.

The three nodded in agreement to one another, and split up. When they reconvened Bonnie had collected a map of Virginia and the surrounding states, and some candles. Stefan had packed a bag full of Rick's weapons, and Jeremy had filled Elena in on everything and brought her with him.

Bonnie lit her candles, and set out her map. She pulled out a knife, and took Elena's hand, "Ready?"

Elena nodded, and Bonnie slit her palm open. Elena let a few drops fall over Mystic Falls on the map, then Bonnie began chanting. Stefan struggled to maintain his composer, with the scent of Elena's blood in the air. Thanks to Phoebe's recent help with his blood problem, he was able to maintain control of himself.

The drops of blood on the map came together into one drop. It moved all the way to Reidsville, Virginia. Bonnie pointed, and announced, "She's there."

"That's 300 miles away," Jeremy noted.

"Bonnie, we need a more exact location than that," Stefan told her.

"That's as close as I can get," Bonnie replied.

"We can look up an aerial view from online," Jeremy suggested. "It'll show what's around there. Help us narrow down an area."

"Perfect. Call me with whatever you find," said Stefan.

"No, no. I'm coming with you," Jeremy argued.

"No, Jeremy, you're not," Elena argued back.

"I'm not just gonna sit here, Elena, she's our sister," said Jeremy. "What if she's hurt, or worse?"

"She's not, Jeremy. The spell wouldn't have worked if she was," Stefan comforted.

"Look, let's just go back home, just in case," Elena suggested.

"I promise I'll call as soon as I find her," Stefan added.

"But you can't do this alone," Jeremy pressed.

"I'm not going to do this alone," said Stefan.

The door opened, and Damon – accompanied by Anna – stuck his head in, "Ready to go?"

After school, Tyler is playing basketball, when he spots Caroline. He chases after her to try talking to her again. Unfortunately, she still refuses to admit she knows anything, and tries to walk away. Tyler grabs her by the arm to keep her there, but she gets free of his grip, and takes him down. Surprised by her strength, Tyler questions her about it; but Caroline only shrugs it off as nothing. Tyler grows more and more annoyed by her avoidance, and kicks a nearby trashcan. It flies a few feet away, hitting a car in the lot. Everyone stares, and whispers, as he walks away.

Meanwhile, the three vampires head to rescue.

"Alaric sure likes his weapons," Damon commented. He glanced at the thing Stefan was fiddling with. "What the hell is that?"

"Uh, it's a vervain bomb, or grenade launcher. Or something like that," Stefan answered, putting it away.

"Weird," said Damon.

"So, who do you think took her?" Anna asked, from the backseat.

"Someone from Katherine's past," Stefan answered. "She said she was running from someone. Maybe they got the wrong girl."

"Maybe. But let's not forget the supposed 'he' that's going to kill the 'non-doppelganger' – aka Phoebe," Damon added. He glanced at his brother out of the corner of his eye. "Thanks for comin', by the way. For helping me get Phoebe back."

Stefan gave his brother a funny look, "What are you doing?"

"What do you mean 'what am I doing'? I'm thanking you for helping me," said Damon.

"Damon, you hate roadtrip bonding. The very cliché of it all makes you itch," Stefan argued.

"You're right, Stefan," Damon admitted. "We both know you being so enthusiastic to find Phoebe has absolutely nothing to do with me."

"And the elephant in the room lets out a mighty roar," Anna commented.

"What elephant?" Stefan asked, genuinely confused.

"Damon believes what Katherine said about you falling in love with Phoebe," Anna answered. "He thinks that's why you're so concerned for her."

"What?" Stefan questioned. He looked to his brother for some sort of denial, but found none. "What happened to 'Katherine can't be trusted'? What happened to 'Katherine always lies'?"

"I think he believed that, before you became so passionate about getting her back," Anna replied.

"So, I'm not allowed to care what happens to my friend?" Stefan questioned.

"So you do care," Damon noted.

"Of course I care, Damon, she's my friend," Stefan confirmed. "You know, you wouldn't be so paranoid, if you'd just admitted the truth."

"What truth?" Damon asked.

"That you're in love with Phoebe," Anna answered.

Damon smirked to himself for a moment, but then it vanished, "Yeah, well, that time's come and gone."

"Because of what she saw you do with Katherine? Or because of what you did to Jeremy?" Anna questioned.

Damon clammed up, and appeared to be finished with the entire conversation, but eventually muttered, "Both."

Back at the Gilbert house, Rick takes Jenna out for dinner, so she won't ask questions about where Phoebe is; while Jeremy tells John the truth about where Phoebe is. John wasn't happy about the fact that he was just now being told that something had happened to his daughter, but understood that they were busy trying to find out where she was. He also hated that he was still trying to heal, and so couldn't join the rescue operation – not that it really would've stopped him. Elsewhere, Elena and Bonnie look up an aerial view of the location the spell said Phoebe was in. They found nothing but an old, abandoned house in the middle of nowhere. Since it made sense for someone to hide Phoebe there, they sent the directions to Anna.

Meanwhile at the house, Phoebe finds Rose and Trevor cleaning up a room, and begins asking questions.

"Why am I here?" she asked. No one answered her, or even looked at her. "Hello? Are you two just going to ignore me?"

"You keep asking me questions, like I'm going to answer them," said Rose, covering a window.

"Why won't you?" Phoebe asked.

"That's another one," Trevor noted.

Phoebe began to grow annoyed. She hated this superiority complex all vampires appeared to have – with the exception of Stefan and Lexi. She took a breath, "Look, it's not like I can call anyone, or go anywhere, so the least you can do is tell me what you want with me."

"I personally want nothing. We're just a delivery service," Rose replied, not even looking at her.

Phoebe began inching closer to the window, "To Elijah?"

Rose laughed, "Two points to the eavesdropper."

"Who is he?" Phoebe asked, now standing in front of the window.

"He's your worst nightmare," Trevor answered. He didn't bother to look at her, either.

Phoebe shook her head in disappointment. Vampires. They always seem to underestimate her, just because she's human. And they always seem to regret it in the end. It was time to get their undivided attention, and make them answer her questions. So Phoebe turned to the window and began tearing down the boards, and portraits, and other things the two vampires had stacked there to block the sunlight. By the time they'd bothered to see what she was doing, there was a lot of direct sunlight being let in, and they had to back away.

Phoebe stood in the direct sunbeams, as she addressed them, "Yeah, I noticed you weren't wearing any Lapis Lazuli."

"I told you, there's nothing around for miles," said Rose.

"No, but there is plenty of sunlight, which means you can't follow me," Phoebe replied. She then pulled out Trevor's car keys, "And unless one of you knows how to hotwire an automobile…"

"What do you want?" Trevor snapped.

"I wanted you to answer my questions, but you vampires all seem to have this superiority complex that says humans are so far beneath you, that we aren't worth your time," Phoebe replied. "Now, tell me what I want to know, or Elijah is going to be very unhappy with you two, when he finds out your underestimation of me allowed me to escape."

Rose shared a look with Trevor, before giving Phoebe her answers, "Trevor and I have been running for 500 years. We're tired. We want it over. We're using you to negotiate ourselves out of an old mess."

"What's so special about me?" Phoebe asked, playing dumb. She knew very well that she was special – supernaturally speaking – and had a feeling this had something to do with doppelgangers, but she wasn't going to assume anything.

"Because you're the Petrova doppelganger," Rose answered. "You're the key to breaking the curse."

"The sun and the moon curse?" Phoebe guessed.

"So you do know your vampire history," Rose remarked.

Phoebe took a moment to think back to her conversation with Esther: _"As a result, the mystical properties found in doppelganger blood would present itself in a different way…"_

"The moonstone binds the curse, I know that," Phoebe muttered. "But doppelganger blood…she said it had mystical properties in it…so the moonstone is the lock, and the doppelganger is the key…how much doppelganger blood is needed to break the curse?"

"All of it," said Rose. "That's why it's called a sacrifice."

Phoebe nodded thoughtfully, and moved on, "Tell me about Elijah."

"What d'ya wanna know, doppelicious" Trevor asked.

"You said he was my worst nightmare, but what is he really? Is he a vampire?" Phoebe asked.

"Not just a vampire. He's an original," Trevor answered.

"What's an original?" Phoebe asked. Before he could answer, Phoebe realized it on her own. "Wait, no! Don't tell me…an original vampire…are saying Elijah is one of the very first vampires that ever existed?"

Trevor clapped, "Very good. Elijah is part of the first family. Back in the old world, Rose and I pissed 'em off."

Rose cleared her throat.

"Correction – _I_ pissed them off," Trevor corrected. "Rose had my back, and for over half a millennium, they've wanted us dead."

Phoebe furrowed her eyebrows, and was about to ask him what he did, but then it hit her, "You fell in love with Katherine."

Trevor furrowed his brows, "How did you-"

"You're not the first person I've met that she's manipulated, and left behind to pay the price for falling in love with her," Phoebe told him. "What did she make you do for her?"

"Trevor helped her escape her fate," said Rose.

"And now I've – sorry, we've – been marked ever since," Trevor added.

Phoebe took a moment to process it all, then began covering the window back up. When she was done, she tossed Trevor his keys.

"What are you doing?" Rose questioned, skeptically.

"Keeping my end of the deal," Phoebe answered. "I know I didn't _exactly_ say I'd stay if you answered all my questions, but it was understood."

"You do understand, we won't be repeating the same mistake," Rose said.

"And once Elijah has you, you will be sacrificed," Trevor added.

"Yes, but it won't be today, so I still have time to escape. At least then, you two won't be blamed for it," Phoebe replied.

Trevor looked at her, severely confused, "Don't take this the wrong way, but are you touched in the head? We're your kidnappers. And you're trying to help us, instead of trying to escape."

Phoebe shrugged, "I'm too curious for my own good. Thank you for answering my questions."

Phoebe left the room, leaving Rose and Trevor completely bewildered by her behavior. She certainly wasn't what they expected at all. She was very…odd.

Meanwhile, at Caroline's, Tyler breaks in and is waiting for her when she gets home. Tyler accuses her of being a werewolf, too, and Caroline laughs in his face. Angry, Tyler pushes her up against the wall, and tells her to stop lying. Caroline shows her vampire face, and knocks him on his ass. Tyler is a little freaked by it all, but decides to stick around for more information.

Caroline pours them both a drink, and tells him about her being a vampire. They both compare different things they're going through in their transitions, and they both claim to be the only one of their kind in Mystic Falls. Caroline tells him that she wants to tell him everything about the Council, and vampires, and werewolves, and everything she knows; but she needs him to promise not to tell anyone about the two of them. Tyler promises, and explains that he's all alone in this, so he has no one to tell, anyway.

Later in Damon's car, Stefan announces that they're almost there.

"Elena and Bonnie said there's an access road just past mile marker 6," said Anna, getting out a couple of blood bags. She passed one to Damon.

Damon began sipping on his, as Anna did hers. He glanced over, and saw Stefan watching him. Jokingly, he commented, "If you want some, just ask."

"I want some," said Stefan.

"Aww, that's so sweet," Damon continued to joke. "You wanna be all big and strong to save the girl."

Stefan rolled his eyes, "I'm not joking, Damon. I've been drinking a little every day, slowly increasing my intake. And building up my strength."

Anna passed Stefan her bag, "Who's been helping you with that?"

Stefan shared an uneasy look with Damon, before Damon responded, "Phoebe is, of course."

Stefan gave a sigh, "Damon, there is nothing going on between Phoebe and me. You told her to help me learn to control my bloodlust, and so she is. That aside, I love Elena. Not Phoebe, Elena. Phoebe is just my friend, Damon, and that's all she'll ever be."

"And if you don't believe that, then believe that Phoebe only has eyes for you, man," Anna added to Damon. "Even that Matt guy she used to have a thing for wouldn't stand a chance now. That girl is head over heels in love with you, Damon. So just tell her how you feel, and stop accusing your brother of having a thing for your girl."

Damon sipped his blood in silence the rest of the way there. He knew he was being silly, being so jealous of Stefan. But the truth was, as much as he loved Phoebe and knew she loved him in return, he truly believed he wasn't good for her. He was corrupting her. Snuffing out the light in her that made her the good and pure thing that she was. She'd proved that just last night, when she did what she did to Katherine. It didn't matter that Katherine deserved it, Phoebe wasn't the type of person to do things like that. This friendship couldn't go any further than that. The closer they got, the more influence he'd have over her, and he couldn't bear to snuff out that light. This had to stop now, before he ruined her the way Katherine ruined him.

Meanwhile, Phoebe read one of the books she'd found in the house. She sat alone in the swimming room, on the couch, and unintentionally hummed to herself as she did. Elsewhere, Rose walked around, packing the last of their things. Trevor found her, and told her that Elijah had arrived. He was freaking out, convinced that Elijah would kill him. He tried convincing Rose to broker the deal alone, while he got a head start away from there; but Rose wouldn't hear it. She reminded him that they were family, forever, and assured him that Elijah would have mercy. Once calmed down, Rose told Trevor to keep an eye of Phoebe, while she spoke with Elijah. Trevor nodded in agreement, and set off to watch Phoebe.

In the swimming room, the only heads up to Elijah's arrival that Phoebe received was the sound of him banging on the front door. Even then, she was so fixed on the book she was reading, that she assumed the sound was Trevor and Rose. She had been assuming the two would tell her when the big, bad original vampire arrived, but they were too preoccupied with themselves to remember to inform her. So she simply continued to read, and hum. She didn't even notice Trevor entering the room.

After negotiating with Elijah – and receiving his word that he would pardon her – Rose lead him down to the swimming room, where Phoebe and Trevor were waiting. As they approached, Elijah could hear Phoebe humming/singing to herself.

"Hmm hmm hmm hmm hmm…seasons don't fear the reaper…the wind, the sun, or the rain…hmm hmm hmm hmm hmm hmm."

Even though it was an absent-minded kind of singing, it was still quite pretty. He was even more surprised to see Phoebe curled up on the couch, reading a book.

Trevor walked over and nudged her, and whispered, "Get up!"

Phoebe stopped humming, and looked up at Trevor. He looked to Elijah at the top of the stairs, and Phoebe followed his gaze. She was just as surprised as Elijah, upon laying eyes on him.

" _That's impossible,_ " Elijah thought to himself. " _I was certain Katarina's line ended with her._ "

" _It can't be,_ " Phoebe thought to herself. " _That's…that's the guy I saw in the water. But how…how is this possible…?_ "

Phoebe got to her feet, as Elijah flitted down to her. He stopped mere inches from her face, but it didn't seem to faze Phoebe. Though her heart was pounding, she did not seem afraid. Elijah stared down at her for a moment, before slowly leaning in to smell her. This didn't seem to bother Phoebe either. Once Elijah was done smelling her neck, he stood up straight, and declared, "Human."

Phoebe stared back into his brown eyes, and continued to wonder how she had managed to see his face in the water earlier. But as Elijah's face softened into a smile, she began to wonder what exactly she was supposed to be afraid of. Although looks are often deceiving, Elijah didn't look all that scary. Certainly nothing from _her_ nightmares. But then again, they'd only just met.

Elijah finally broke the silence – but not his eye contact with Phoebe, "You seem inquisitive about something, Miss…?"

"Gilbert. Phoebe Gilbert," Phoebe informed him. Rather than tell him how seemingly unthreatening he looked, or that she was trying to figure out how she managed to use divination to see his face earlier, she decided to say the only other thing on her mind. "I was just trying to figure out how you went from Conan the Barbarian to…this."

Elijah was taken aback. How did this girl know what he looked like when he was human? Neither Rose nor Trevor knew him back then, so they couldn't have told her.

Phoebe saw his face, and instantly regretted saying what she'd said. She may not have said how she knew he used to look like that, but what she said was almost as bad. He now knew she knew more about him than the other two, very old vampires in the room. And that wasn't a good thing. She also realized that her phrasing may have come off as rude, and so decided to apologize, "I'm sorry. I-I didn't mean for that to come out as rude. There's nothing wrong with the way you look now, it-it's very handsome."

Elijah laughed, and glanced down at the book she was holding, "May I?"

Phoebe followed his gaze, then handed him the book.

"'Futility or the Wreck of the Titan'," Elijah read aloud. "I thought the ship was called the _Titanic_."

"That ship was," Phoebe answered. "The ship in this book was called the _Titan_. It sank the same way as the _Titanic_ , as well as many other similarities, but 'Futility' was written fourteen years _before_ the Titanic sank."

"Interesting," replied Elijah. He seemed genuinely intrigued. "Well, we have a long journey ahead of us, we should be going. One more piece of business, then we're done."

When Elijah turned away from Phoebe to address Trevor, it felt as though he had to tear his eyes away from her. He seemed to find her as intriguing as she found him.

"I've waited so long for this day, Elijah," Trevor said nervously, as Elijah circled him. "I'm truly, very sorry."

"Oh, no, your apology's not necessary," said Elijah, sneaking another glance at Phoebe.

"Yes. Yes, it is," Trevor argued. "You trusted me with Katarina…and I failed you."

"Well, yes, you are the guilty one, and Rose aided you because she was loyal to you. That, now, I honor," replied Elijah. He stopped circling Trevor, and looked him in the eye, "Where was your loyalty?"

Trevor struggled to answer, so Phoebe chimed in, "With his heart."

All eyes turned to Phoebe.

"He fell in love with her, and didn't want to see her sacrificed, just to break some silly curse," Phoebe went on. "He was trying to save the woman he loved."

Trevor was afraid that the mouthy human in the room would get him into further trouble, so he pulled Elijah's attention away from her, and back to himself, "I beg your forgiveness."

"So granted," Elijah replied, calmly. He then – without warning – knocked Trevor's head clean off of his shoulders.

Rose gasped in shock, as the tears came to her eyes. She wanted to charge at Elijah, but he cautioned her against it, without even looking at her. Phoebe wasn't all that surprised, because she could read his body language. 500 years chasing after someone, isn't so easily forgiven.

Elijah approached Phoebe, "Now, tell me, what do you know about the 'silly little curse'?"

"Not much. Something about a moonstone and a doppelganger. Key and lock, sorta thing," Phoebe replied vaguely.

"What do you know of the moonstone?" Elijah questioned. He was trying to compel her.

"Nothing," Phoebe lied. Elijah could tell she was lying, and began searching her for vervain. Phoebe knew what he was looking for, but didn't want to tell him about her ability to not be compelled.

"I don't see any vervain on you, which must mean you drink it," Elijah noted. "No matter. After a few days, it will have worked its way out of your system, and you'll be able to be compelled to tell me everything you know."

Upstairs – loud enough for even Phoebe's human ears – came the sound of glass shattering.

"What is that?" Elijah questioned.

"I don't know," Rose answered.

"Who else is in this house?" Elijah asked her.

"I don't know," Rose repeated.

Elijah grabbed Phoebe's arm – surprisingly gentle – and pulled her along with him upstairs. Rose followed. Once they were in the entryway, blurs flitted past them. Elijah began to grow annoyed, "Rose."

"I don't know who it is," Rose assured him.

Another figure flitted past them, and down where they had just come from.

Upstairs, Stefan's voice called, "Up here."

Elijah flitted halfway up the stairs, before Damon's voice called up from where they'd just come, "Down here."

As Elijah stood there, another figure flitted by, and shot a wooden stake into his hand. When he looked away to pull it out, Damon flitted in and grabbed Rose, while Stefan grabbed Phoebe. After noticing the girls' disappearance, Elijah grew even more annoyed.

"Excuse me! To whom it may concern, you're making a great mistake if you think that you can beat me. You can't," Elijah called out. He picked up an old coat rack, and began breaking off the hooks, "You hear that? I repeat – you cannot beat me. So I want the girl on the count of 3, or head will roll. Do we understand each other?"

Phoebe stepped out onto the landing of the stairs, "I'll come with you. Just please don't hurt my friends. They just wanted to help me."

Elijah flitted up to her, "What game are you playing with me?"

Phoebe looked him in the eye, "I don't play games."

"Hey, you! Heads up!" Anna called from behind him. When he turned to face her, she tossed a vervain grenade at him, and it exploded in his face.

Elijah healed a lot quicker than any of them would have thought, and he went right for Anna. Stefan came down the stairs, and repeatedly shot stakes into him, but it never even slowed him down. Stefan then decided to tackle him, and the two rolled the rest of the way down the stairs. There, Damon picked up the broken coat rack Elijah had dropped, and shoved it through his heart. He pushed until Elijah was pinned to the front door. Elijah went limp, and desiccated. Rose came upstairs to see what happened, then ran away.

Damon started to go after her, but Phoebe stopped him, "Let her go."

Damon stopped, and looked up the stairs at her. She stared back down at him, and they both smiled. Phoebe ran down to him, and threw her arms around him. He happily held her in return. Anna and Stefan stood back, and watched the happy couple. Phoebe mouthed a 'thank you' to them, then squeezed Damon even tighter. There was nowhere she'd rather be, right now, than in his arms.

The two eventually released one another, and they all headed home. Phoebe sat in the back with Anna, and told them about her day. And a three-hour car ride later, and Phoebe was being greeted by her father and siblings. They were all waiting on the porch, when she got home, and were very happy to see that she was okay. Phoebe hugged each of them, and told them all about her full, rich day over dinner – having not eaten since the previous day, she was starving. When she was done with her story, she went upstairs for a shower.

Meanwhile, at the Boarding house, Anna and the brothers share a drink in the library.

"So, uh, what Rose told Phoebe about the curse…," Anna began.

"I know. We'll keep her safe," said Damon.

"You know the only way we're gonna be able to do that is if we're not fighting each other," said Stefan. He was talking to Damon. Damon gave him a funny look. "We let Katherine come between us. If you let that happen with Phoebe – by believing that my friendship with her is anything more than that – we're not gonna be able to protect either of them."

"Yeah, Stefan. Heard it all before," replied Damon. There was a certain level of annoyance, and boredom in his voice.

He began to walk away, but Anna called after him, "Hey."

Damon turned back to see what she wanted.

"Tell her," she said, simply. "From what she's told me, and what I saw today, it's not too late. Tell her."

Before Damon could respond – or just walk away – Rose flitted in, claiming she could help them protect Phoebe. She tells them that though Elijah is dead, the other originals will be coming for the doppelganger. Others will try to do what she and Trevor did, and bring her to them, because someone named Klaus wants her.

Later at the Gilbert's, Phoebe begins to drift off to a book. Damon arrives shortly after, and does what he usually does in these instances. He marks her place in the book, and puts it aside. He then removes her glasses – so she doesn't break them – and sets them aside with her book. This time, though, instead of turning off the light and leaving her to sleep, Damon spoke to her.

"Anna's been pestering me all day to finally tell you how I feel, but to do that would be the most selfish thing I've ever done in my life. But she was right. I have to say it, and you need to hear it. Even if it's only subconsciously," Damon told her in a soft voice. He didn't want to wake her. As he went on, he had to occasionally stop to fight back tears. "I love you, Phoebe Gilbert. And it's because I love you that…I can't be selfish with you…I don't deserve you…all I do is corrupt you, and if I snuff out that light in you that makes you so pure and good, I'm no better than Katherine…I was a good man, before she found me. A man you would be proud to have on your arm…but she ruined that. She ruined me…I won't ruin you…"

Damon turned off her light, then leaned over to kiss her cheek. He then left her there to sleep, not knowing that the entire time…Phoebe had been awake…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So what did you guys think of Phoebe's first meeting with Elijah? What do you think it'll be like when he comes to Mystic Falls? What is with Damon and his delusions of corrupting Phoebe? Or his paranoia that Stefan is falling for his girl? What will life at the Boarding House be like now that Anna's living there? What will Phoebe think of Rose being there? What will Phoebe have to say or do about Damon's confession? Will she be understanding, like she always is? Or will she be angry? Will she keep it to herself? Or will she talk to someone about it? How will Phoebe deal with the upcoming wolves? How the hell did Phoebe use divination to see Elijah back when he was still human? Will she be able to do it again to see Klaus? Will she even tell anyone that she did that?
> 
> Stay tuned for all these answers and more. This season I promise to fully explain what Phoebe is, and how she has powers, as well as why she has cystic fibrosis. I've also got many other surprises in store, and a new friend for Phoebe. A character that doesn't come in until later, to be brought in early. Hmmm…who could that be? What do you guys think so far? What do you think will happen in the future? What do you hope to see in the future?


	31. Katerina

Chapter 31: Katerina

Phoebe found it surprisingly difficult to sleep that night – after Damon's visit. Before, she'd been so exhausted she could have slept for days; but now she couldn't get her brain to shut off for anything. For the next few hours she tried everything she could think of to sleep, short of drugging herself. She tried reading, but couldn't focus on the words. She tried laying there, eyes closed doing her best to clear her mind, but the thoughts still came. She tried listening to music, but the music only further encouraged her to get up; so she did.

Phoebe threw her covers back in annoyance, and crept down to the kitchen to make some coffee. If she had to be up, then she could at least get out of this stupid in between place – too awake to sleep, but too tired to want to do anything. When she entered the kitchen, John was there, and he had already fixed a pot.

"What are you doing up?" Phoebe asked.

"Can't sleep," he replied, simply. "What are you doing up?"

"Can't sleep," Phoebe repeated.

"Coffee?" John offered.

"Please," she answered. She took a seat at the island.

As John poured her a mug, he asked her, "So why can't you sleep?"

"Why can't you sleep?" Phoebe countered.

"I've always been a little bit of an insomniac. Some nights – like tonight – it's just easier to give up on trying to sleep, and have some coffee," he answered. He grabbed Phoebe's creamer from the fridge, and passed it to her. "Your turn."

Phoebe hesitated with her answer. Talking about boy problems with your father was awkward enough, but when the boy in question was a 170 year old vampire whom your father would love nothing more than to kill...it made it that much more difficult to talk about. "Damon's giving up on there ever being an 'us'."

"What makes you say that?" asked John.

"He told me. He said he was afraid of corrupting me, like Katherine corrupted him. That he doesn't deserve me, so he isn't going to be selfish with me," Phoebe answered. She sipped her coffee.

John nodded, thoughtfully, then replied, "Hmm. What makes him think he's capable of corrupting you? I mean, you're so smart you can't even be compelled, unless you want to."

"They didn't tell you I kicked Katherine while she was down, so to speak?" Phoebe asked.

"No, they did, but...she deserved it. To be honest, I'm surprised you showed the restraint you did in just hurting her instead of sticking that knife into her heart," John replied.

Phoebe threw her hands up, enthusiastically, "Thank you!"

"So what did you say to him?" he asked, sipping his coffee.

"Nothing, yet," she answered. John gave her a funny look, so she clarified. "He said all of that to me, because he thought I was asleep."

John caught on quick, "Wait a minute, are you saying he was here? In your room?"

Now the conversation was becoming awkward, "Okay, first of all, don't go there. Nothing's ever happened, or even come close to happening."

John made that dad face that said he was glad to hear that, but also felt disturbed to even be talking about this with his daughter.

"Secondly," Phoebe went on. "He doesn't do that often."

"Evidently, often enough for you not to be concerned by someone coming in through your window this late at night," John noted.

"...valid..."

John took a moment to think, before responding, "Look, I'm not gonna pretend that I wouldn't be thrilled to hear that you and Damon are no more. You know how I feel about him – being a vampire aside. But I know he cares for you, and you him. So just talk to him. If he still thinks he has enough control over you to somehow corrupt you after, then...then maybe you two just weren't meant to be. Or at least, not right now. I mean, he's even admitted, Katherine really did a number on him. So maybe he needs more time before he's able to have a real relationship with someone."

Phoebe nodded in agreement, "I'll talk to him tomorrow."

After finishing her coffee, Phoebe was awake enough to actually do something; but it was still too early to go talk to Damon. She needed a distraction. Something that would keep her occupied for the next several hours. There was only one thing that could do that: art.

Phoebe sat on the floor of her room, and put on her headphones. She then took out a picture of the ancient Aztec tapestry and began to draw it on some tanned sketch paper. For the next several hours, that was all that she did; until Elena scared her half to death. Elena entered her room – unnoticed – and walked over to her sister. She tapped her on the shoulder, and Phoebe jerked around to see who it was, sending a few things flying.

"Holy Hera, don't do that to me," Phoebe scolded, hand over her heart. She slid her headphones off of her head to be around her neck.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," Elena apologized. As she sat across from her sister on the window seat, she gestured to the headphones that still blared music from them, "If you didn't play it so loud, you might actually hear something."

Phoebe turned off her music, "I like it that loud. You can feel the base, and hear a lot of things that you couldn't hear if it were quieter. So what has you up this early?"

"I've been thinking," Elena began.

"Uh-oh," Phoebe muttered.

Elena ignored her, and went on, "Damon said that Katherine told him someone was coming for you and me, right before he shut her in the tomb."

"I see where you're going with this, but she isn't going to tell us anything. All she's going to do is lie, and try to get us to let her out, which isn't gonna happen," said Phoebe.

"What if we bring her some things to make her more comfortable in there? Or that book on the Petrova family?" Elena offered.

Phoebe shook her head, "A few pillows, and a family heirloom from 500 years ago...that's not gonna be enough."

"Then what can we do, short of letting her out of there?" Elena asked.

"I don't know. I mean, she's slowly starving in there, I guess we could offer her some blood. But that doesn't mean she won't still lie," Phoebe answered.

"Well, I think it's worth a shot," said Elena. "She's our best, and only, lead right now. We need to find out who's coming for us, and how we can fight him."

Phoebe stared at her sister, as she debated it in her head. Elena begged her with her eyes. Eventually, Phoebe gave a sigh, "Take Anna with you. You'll need her to open the door. And make sure she's stays nearby, in case you need her."

"You aren't coming with me?"

"If I get anywhere near that woman again, I'm going to drive a steak through her heart. So I don't think it's a good idea for me to get anywhere near her," Phoebe replied. "Besides, there's something I have to do today."

Elena nodded, and thanked her sister, before leaving her room to prepare for her day. Phoebe did the same, starting with picking up her art stuff. When she was done, she got a text from Stefan, telling her and Elena to come by the Boarding House, before school.

When the twins arrived at the Boarding House, Damon answered the door. He was oddly cordial, and polite. Normally, he would've cracked some kind of joke, and Phoebe would've responded in kind, thus creating their usual banter. But this time, there was none of that, and it made Phoebe uncomfortable. However, that wasn't the only thing to bring Phoebe's comfort levels way down. One of her kidnappers - Rose - was there. Rose seemed surprised by something, but didn't say what it was.

The four vampires sat the twins down in the living room to hear what Rose had to say. Both of them sat there, quieter than they usually were, and listened.

"Okay, you have to understand, I only know what I've picked up over the years. And I don't know what's true and what's not true," Rose began. "That's the problem with all this vampire crap. But Klaus, I _know_ is real."

"Who is he?" Elena asked.

"One of the Originals," Anna replied.

Elena still looked lost, so Stefan reminded her, "From the first generation of vampires."

"Like Elijah," Elena noted.

"No. Elijah was the Easter Bunny compared to Klaus," Rose corrected her.

Phoebe snorted, "That's-that's clever. I see what you did there. Claus-Klaus. Klaus-Claus...sorry. Continue."

"Elijah was a foot soldier," Rose went on. "Klaus is the real deal."

"Klaus is supposedly the oldest," said Anna.

"Okay, so you're saying that the oldest vampire in the history of time is coming after me and Phoebe?" Elena questioned.

"Yes," said Rose, happy to see that she understood.

At the same time, Stefan replied, "No."

The twins exchanged a look.

"What they're saying is, I mean, if what she's saying is true...," Damon began.

"Which it is," said Rose.

"And you're not just saying this so we don't kill you...," Damon continued.

"Which I'm not," said Rose.

"Then we're looking at a solid...maybe," Damon finally finished.

"My, don't we have a way with words today," Phoebe remarked.

"Look, Elijah's dead, right? And no one else even knows that you two exist," said Anna, comfortingly.

"Not that you know of," Rose remarked.

"That's not helping," Damon told her.

"Look, I've never even met anyone who's laid eyes on him. I mean, we're talking centuries of truth mixed with fiction," said Stefan. "I mean, we don't know what's real. For all we know, he could just be some sort of stupid bedtime story."

"He's real," Rose argued. "And he doesn't give up. If he wants something, he gets it. If you're not afraid of Klaus, then you're an idiot."

"Alright, we're shaking. You've made your point," Damon told her.

Rose sighed, "Look, even if there are others that know about another doppelganger – which there probably are – chances are they don't know there are two of you. I didn't even know that, until I saw you both walk in just now."

"Actually, she's the doppelganger, I'm just...something else," Phoebe corrected. Rose seemed confused, but no one seemed interested in elaborating for her. Phoebe made a face that said a lightbulb had just come on for her, "Wait, at the house you said you didn't call Elijah directly. You said you sent a message to one of his contacts."

"Yes, but I didn't tell him what it was about," Rose replied.

"No, but if this contact could get in touch with Elijah, maybe they can help us find Santa Klaus," said Phoebe.

"You don't find Klaus, he finds you," Rose replied.

"Come on. Somebody's gotta know somebody, who knows where he is," Damon argued.

"Add another 200 somebodies to that, and you're still not even close," Rose argued back.

"You got in touch with Elijah," Anna pointed out.

"Yes, through a very low somebody on the totem pole," Rose replied.

"Oh, so somebody really important," Phoebe noted. Rose rolled her eyes, assuming she was being sarcastic. "That wasn't sarcasm. The lower you are on the totem pole, the more important you are."

"Fine, he was somebody very high on the totem pole. Happy?" Rose corrected herself.

"Who is this contact?" Stefan asked.

"A guy named Slater in Richmond," Rose answered.

"Perfect. I'll drive," said Damon.

"No. You forget not all of us can do sun," Rose reminded.

"Then we can take your car," said Phoebe. "It's nice and tinted."

"Uh, don't you have school?" Stefan asked.

"Yes, but finding more information on the man that wants to kill me and sacrifice my sister in a ritual seems more important than sitting through classes that I could've aced five years ago," Phoebe replied.

Elena got to her feet, and headed for the door.

"Where you going?" Stefan asked her.

"School. I'm late," she replied simply.

"Let me, uh—let me grab my stuff. I'll go with you," said Stefan.

"No, that's okay. You guys go to Richmond," Elena told him.

Anna waited for her to walk out the door, before volunteering to go to school and keep an eye on her, while they rest of them went to Richmond. Satisfied with that, Rose, Phoebe, and the Salvatore brothers piled into Rose's tinted SUV and headed to Richmond.

Meanwhile, at the high school, Bonnie meets a new student named Luka; while Anna and Elena head into the woods. Once at the tomb, Anna removes the tomb door, so Elena can speak to Katherine. She then leaves, but remains close by in case something happens. Elena tossed a pillow and blanket inside for Katherine.

"So you came to bribe me," Katherine muttered. "What is it that you want?"

"I want you to tell me about Klaus," said Elena.

Katherine looked impressed, "Mmm. You've been busy."

"I also brought you this," said Elena. She held up the Petrova family history book. "It's your family history. It says in here that the family line ended with you. Obviously, that's not true."

"You think that if you brought me some family keepsake, that I'd open up?" Katherine asked.

"That's what Phoebe said you'd say," replied Elena. She took a bottle of blood out of the bag, and held it up. "That's why she told me to bring this."

Katherine's eyes lit up, and she charged at Elena. Unfortunately, she couldn't pass the doorway.

"You don't look so good. How long before your body shuts down? 10, 20 years? Must be painful to desiccate and mummify. I can't even imagine," Elena taunted.

Katherine stared her down for a moment, before giving in. She sank to the ground, and waited for Elena to ask her questions. Elena squatted down, and slid over a small shot of blood. Katherine took it, and remarked, "You're beginning to sound like your sister. Now, she has the Petrova fire."

"More blood?" Elena offered. Katherine passed the cup back in response.

"It's a long story, Klaus and I. Goes all the way back to England, 1492, after I left Bulgaria," said Katherine. She took the next dose of blood. "Or was thrown out."

"Thrown out?" Elena questioned.

"My family, your true ancestors...they disowned me. My indiscretions were not tolerated at that time. I had a baby out of wedlock. The shame," Katherine replied.

"It was kept secret?" Elena guessed.

"Mm-hmm. My baby was given away. I was banished to England, and I had to learn to adjust. So I quickly became English," Katherine confirmed. "It was there that I caught the eye of a nobleman named Klaus. I was taken with him at first, until I found out what he was and what he wanted from me...and then I ran like hell."

"What did Klaus want?" Elena asked.

"Same thing that he'll want from you," Katherine answered. "He wants to break the curse."

"By sacrificing the Petrova doppelganger," Elena thought out loud.

"He wanted to drain every single drop of blood from my body," Katherine told her.

That made Elena nervous, but she did her best not to let it show. She passed Katherine another shot of blood, "What does the Petrova bloodline have to do with Klaus?"

"It's really tedious, but...the curse was bound by the sacrifice of Petrova blood," she answered. "Witches are crafty with their spells. The doppelganger was created as a way to be able to undo the spell. Once the doppelganger reappeared, the curse can be broken."

"So you ran before he killed you," said Elena.

"Something like that. I ran to the cottage Trevor sent me to. I showed his friend Rose the moonstone I had stolen, as proof I was who I said I was; but she refused to help me. She locked me up, and said that once night fell she would take me back," Katherine replied.

"Rose never ended up taking you back to Klaus, did she?" Elena asked.

"No. But not because she had a change of heart," said Katherine. "I tried to kill myself, before nightfall, but Rose found me and healed me with her blood. Then Trevor arrived. While the two of them argued about me, I hung myself."

Elena was surprised, "You killed yourself?"

"Klaus needed a human doppelganger. As a vampire I was no longer any use to him," Katherine replied, calmly.

"But it didn't work. You didn't really escape. You've been running from Klaus ever since," said Elena.

Katherine rolled her eyes, "I underestimated his spirit for vengeance. But living out of a suitcase is better than dying so that you can have your blood spilled over some silly little rock."

Elena looked uncomfortable.

"What's wrong? Afraid I'm right? You don't wanna die? There's another way out," Katherine taunted. She used her fingernail to slit part of her wrist open. "Better hurry. Your opportunity is going, going, going...and gone."

Elena shot her a dirty look.

Katherine didn't seemed bothered by her judgement, "I made the other choice."

Meanwhile – after a 2 1/2 hour drive – Rose, Phoebe, and the Salvatores arrived in Richmond. Rose parked in a parking garage behind a little coffee shop.

"Back entrance. How convenient," Damon commented.

"That's the point," said Rose. "We can't all have little daylight rings."

"How do you know this Slater guy's even here?" Stefan asked.

"I called him," Rose answered. "He's here. He's always here."

"Good," said Damon. He pinned Rose against a nearby pillar, "Just one thing, if you are setting us up in any way, I will rip your heart out and shove it down your throat. It's something I'm very good at."

Rose got free – quite easily – and pinned Damon against the SUV, "I'm older than you and stronger. Don't get on my bad side."

Rose released him, and headed inside. Stefan and Phoebe hid snickers, as she passed.

"What are you two laughin' at?" Damon sniped.

"You," Stefan answered honestly.

"You know, one day, you might wanna learn to stop threatening people that are stronger, more powerful, or older than you. It never seems to end well for you," Phoebe remarked.

The remaining three followed Rose inside, without another word. It was very bright inside, and sunny.

"Wait, what about the sun?" Phoebe asked, grabbing hold of Rose.

Rose smiled at her concern for her, "It's alright. The windows are double-paned and tempered. UV rays can't penetrate."

Phoebe gave her an apologetic smile, and released her arm.

"This place is nice. Sunlight for those without daylight rings," Stefan began.

"The smell of coffee in the air," Phoebe added.

"Not to mention the free wi-fi," added a random guy.

Rose smiled, and gave the man a hug, "Hey, how are you."

"Good. I saw you come," said the man. "What are you doing here?"

"It's a long story, but I want you to meet -," Rose began.

The man appeared excited, as he cut her off, "Damon and Stefan Salvatore. Turned 1864, Mystic Falls, by Katherine Pierce, aka Katerina Petrova."

Though the brothers were confused by his knowledge, Phoebe rather liked this guy – who she assumed was Slater. She smiled, and muttered under her breath, "Oomny veck.{Smart man.}"

Slater turned to her, pleasantly surprised, "Appy-polly loggies, droogie.{Apologies, friend.}"

Phoebe looked at him equally surprised, yet happy – though everyone else just seemed confused.

Damon leaned closer to his brother, "What did he just call her?"

Stefan shook his head, "I don't even know what language they're speaking."

"Nadsat," Slater told them. He never even looked away from Phoebe. "Vy govorite po Rossii, a takzhe?{Do you speak Russian, as well?}"

"YA delayu. Khotya ya nemnogo rzhavyy. {I do. Though I'm a bit rusty}" Phoebe replied.

"Okay, that – that's Russian. Right?" said Stefan, only somewhat certain.

"I don't know, I don't speak Russian," said Damon.

"Ty govorish' na kakikh-nibud' drugikh yazykakh? {Do you speak any other languages?}" Slater asked.

"V osnovnom fantazii. {Mostly fantasy.}" Phoebe replied.

Slater beamed at the challenge, "wo' Suvwl'? {Are you a warrior of the Empire?}"

Phoebe returned his smile, "qaSchoH puq mach. {Since I was a small child.}"

"Okay, now what the hell is that?" Damon questioned.

"German?" Stefan guessed.

"Klingon," Phoebe corrected. "Naa lle y' Mellon en' i' Tel'Quessir? {Are you a friend of the elves?}"

"Ten' nir' ethuil. {For many seasons.}" replied Slater. "That was Tolkien Elvish, in case you were wondering."

Stefan smiled, "Thanks."

"Okay, enough of the multi-lingual conversations," said Damon, annoyed that he could only speak English.

Slater held up a finger, "Just one more. Katerina e ot Bŭlgariya. Nauchikhte li ezika na predtsite si, no vse pak? {Katerina was from Bulgaria. Have you learned the language of your ancestors, yet?}

Phoebe had to take a moment to think of her response, and once she had it she said it slowly to make sure she got it right, Az toku-shto nauchikh istinskoto mi poteklo. No az sŭm obuchenie. {I've only just learned my true ancestry. But I am learning.}

Slater's smile grew, and he extended his hand, "What is your name?"

Phoebe took his hand in hers, as she replied, "Phoebe."

"Bellezza e cervello. {Beauty and brains.}" Slater mumbled, kissing her hand. Phoebe blushed.

"Flattery si arriva da nessuna con lei. Solo la logica di lei si muove. {Flattery will get you nowhere with her. Only logic moves her.}" said Stefan.

Phoebe looked at Stefan in surprise, as Slater replied, "I'll have to keep that in mind."

Damon looked so annoyed, if he were a cat, his ears would be folded back.

"So what's goin' on, Rose?" Slater asked. "Where's Trevor?"

Since both Phoebe and Stefan knew Damon's tactlessness well, they both reached a hand towards him to cover his mouth. Damon shrugged them off, and stepped away with them, so Rose could tell Slater about Trevor.

Back in the tomb, Katherine tells Elena what happened when she woke up in transition.

"Rose and Trevor spent the last 500 years running because you used them," said Elena. "Trevor just got killed."

Katherine looked somewhat impressed, "Never thought he would've last that long."

Elena was surprised by her lack of caring, "You don't even care that you ruined their lives."

"I was looking out for myself, Elena. I will always look out for myself. If you're smart, you'll do the same," Katherine told her. She then turned away, and began looking through her family's book.

Meanwhile, at the Grill, Bonnie arrives to meet up with Caroline. Since she's early, the new kid – Luka – invites her to join him and his father while she waits. During some idle chit chat, Bonnie learns the pair moved to Mystic Falls from Louisiana. Right after that, Luka's father – Jonas – makes her uncomfortable by asking her about her heritage from Massachusetts. Thankfully for Bonnie, Caroline soon arrives, saving her from further awkward conversation.

Back at the coffee shop, Rose finishes catching Slater up on recent events.

"And you're sure Elijah's dead?" Slater questioned.

"Beyond dead," said Damon, rejoining them.

"Trevor was a good man," Slater noted. "He helped me with my dissertation on sexual deviance in the Baroque period."

"Dissertation?" Phoebe questioned.

"I was going for my Psych PhD.," Slater explained.

"Slater's been in college since '74," said Rose.

"When I was turned," Slater added.

Phoebe was fascinated, "Really?"

"I have 18 degrees – 3 Masters, and 4 PhDs.," he replied.

Damon grew increasingly annoyed by Phoebe's interest in this guy. But how could she not be interested? He was basically the male-vampire version of her. Damon took a breath, "The point?"

Slater gave him a look, "Exactly. I mean, what is the point? What should I be doing with my eternity? If you have an answer, please enlighten me."

"Oh, you're asking the wrong person," said Phoebe. "The only time Damon's been on a college campus, is to feed off the Sorority girls."

"I'm gonna get some coffee. Phoebe, you wanna join me?" Stefan asked, eager to pull her away from Damon's growing tension.

Phoebe followed him over to the counter to order some coffee, while the other three moved on to a different topic. Rose tells Slater that they need his help contacting Klaus, which Slater explains he cannot do. He tells him the process by which he normally would get in touch with him, but since Elijah is dead, the line ends there. Meanwhile, Stefan and Phoebe order some coffee for the group.

"I know what you're doing," said Stefan.

Phoebe looked around, confused, "What am I doing?"

"You're trying to make my brother jealous by flirting with Slater," Stefan answered.

"That is not even remotely true," Phoebe argued. Stefan gave her a look. "It's not."

"Okay then, why are you ganging up on him, instead of defending him, like you normally do?" he asked.

"I'm not ganging up on him," Phoebe denied.

" _'The only time Damon's been on a college campus, is to feed off the Sorority girls.'_ ," Stefan quoted.

"Okay, so I might've made a slight jab at him," she admitted.

"But why? I thought things were going good for you two," he remarked.

"So did I. But last night he said some things that...at first I was just confused, and just wanted to talk to him about it. But then we took this trip, so I had to put the conversation on hold," replied Phoebe.

Stefan looked at her seriously, "What did he say?"

"Well, the first part was nice, because he said he - he loved me. But then he went on about not being good enough for me, and being afraid of corrupting me like Katherine did to him...all because I stab Katherine while she was down," she answered.

"Well, to be honest, Phoebe, that was a little...weird to watch you do. And in his defense, he was a really good guy, before Katherine twisted him into the person he is today. So it's understandable that he would be afraid of doing the same thing to you," Stefan argued.

"I get that, Stefan, but -as my dad pointed out -I can't even be compelled if I don't wanna be. How can he honestly think he has enough power over me to turn me into this dark thing, like Katherine?" Phoebe questioned.

Stefan gave a sigh, "I don't know. I haven't understood my brother since we were still human. But you should try talking to him, not punish him for what he believes."

"I know," she admitted. "It just -it makes me mad to see him get jealous of someone else's interest in me, when he's trying to push me away. At that point, he has no right to get jealous."

"Just because he's trying to push you away, doesn't mean he's stopped loving you, Phoebe," said Stefan.

"I know that, too," she mumbled. "Doesn't make it any less frustrating."

Stefan gave a light laugh, "Well, that's Damon for you. Frustrating through and through. But if anyone can put up with him, it's you."

Phoebe yawned, involuntarily. Thankfully, the coffee arrived, so she had hope of refueling for the rest of the day. Meanwhile, outside, Elijah arrives across the street, next to a street musician. He drops a one hundred dollar bill into the man's guitar case, grabs a handful of coins, and listens in with his vampire hearing. However, it isn't Damon, Rose and Slater that he focuses on. It's Phoebe and Stefan.

"So can you really speak all those languages?" Stefan asked her.

Phoebe smiled, and nodded, "Yup."

"Why? I mean, why those languages?" he wondered. "And what the hell is Nadsat?"

Phoebe laughed, "Have you ever seen 'A Clockwork Orange'?"

"Are you serious? That's a real language?" he asked, surprised.

Phoebe nodded, "I was listening to the soundtrack this morning. It's similar to Russian."

"Which is why you decided to learn Russian,"Stefan guessed. "And you like Star Trek, so that explains the Klingon."

"And Tolkien is a genius, so of course I learned Elvish,"she added. "Plus, it's just a pretty language."

"But why Italian, and whatever that other one was?" he asked.

"I started learning Italian because you and Damon are Italian, and the other one was Bulgarian," she explained. "I figured it would be interesting to learn the language of my ancestors, and it is."

"What other languages do you speak?" Stefan wondered.

"Mohu mluvit česky," replied Phoebe. Stefan struggled to identify it, and Phoebe laughed at him. "That was Czech."

"Ah. Yes, Czech. I knew that," he lied.

"Uh-huh. I tried learning Arabic, but it's a little difficult," she replied. She thought for a moment, then said, "Boro na miliso ellinika."

"That's not Italian, but it sounds similar...Greek?" Stefan guessed.

"Very good," said Phoebe. "Jag kan prata svenska."

"Swiss?" he guessed.

"Swedish," Phoebe corrected. "I hiki olelo Hawaiian."

"Well, that one sounds obvious. Hawaiian, right?"

Phoebe nodded.

"Is that it?"

"No, I can speak Latin, and I learned Korean because of my love for 'M*A*S*H'," she answered.

Stefan looked amazed, "You're only 17, and you can speak...13 different languages!"

"More like 12 1/2, really," Phoebe corrected.

"Still," Stefan began. "You speak more languages than most people. When do you find time to learn all these languages?"

"I don't sleep much," Phoebe answered. "Plus, when I'm sitting in class, I'm bored. I already know all the answers, so I bring other things to learn. And since there are no advanced classes I can take, the teachers are told to let me work on what I want – as long as I'm not being disruptive, and I'm working on something academic."

"So that's why you never seem worried about missing school," he noted.

Phoebe smiled, as she picked up the coffees, and began heading to the table that the others were at. Stefan grabbed the other two coffees, and followed her. While the two of them had been talking, Damon had been trying to convince Slater to help them figure out a way to stop the curse from ever being broken, by making the moonstone useless. Slater, however, didn't seem to understand why he cared so much. If Klaus broke the curse, vampires would walk in the sun. Whereas, if he helped Damon, he would end up stuck in the shadows, and on the bad side of the Original family.

As Stefan and Phoebe approached the table, Phoebe caught sight of Elijah across the street. She stopped dead in her tracks and stared. Stefan took notice, and followed her line of sight. Elijah flicked the coins in his hand at the cafe windows. Just before the windows exploded, Stefan dropped the coffee he was caring, grabbed Phoebe, and dropped to the floor, shielding her with his body. Vampires and humans everywhere screamed, and ran – Slater being one of them. After making sure Phoebe was alright, Stefan went to check on his brother. He and Damon had to help shield Rose from the sun, and get her out of there.

Phoebe, on the other hand, lingered a moment or two. She examined the ground to see what Elijah had thrown, but only saw a bunch of glass and coins. She picked up a few of them, and glanced back outside to see if Elijah was still there, but he was long gone.

Meanwhile, back in the tomb, Elena is still trying to determine whether or not Katherine has been telling her the truth.

"So how much of your little story is true?" Elena asked.

"I have no reason to lie, Elena," Katherine sighed. "I have no reason to do anything but sit here and read and rot."

"Okay, assuming it's even partially true. That's the reason you came back, isn't it?" Elena asked her. "Because you wanted to be the one to hand me and Phoebe over to Klaus."

"Mm, 500 years on the run, I figured he'd be willing to strike a deal," Katherine admitted.

"So you got Mason Lockwood to find you the moonstone," Elena guessed.

"Right again."

"But that's not the only thing needed to break the curse," Elena continued. "It's not just me and the stone."

"Either you're getting smarter, or your sister's already given you the answers," Katherine remarked.

Elena ignored her, and began thinking like her sister, "You need a werewolf, otherwise there would be no need to trigger Tyler Lockwood's werewolf curse."

"Witches and their spells – so many ingredients, so many people to sacrifice," said Katherine.

"And you need a witch to do the spell, obviously," Elena continued.

"Mine bailed, but Bonnie'll do just fine," said Katherine.

"What else?" Elena questioned.

"A vampire."

It hit Elena like a brick, "Caroline."

"It could've been anyone, I suppose, but I like the poetry of Caroline," said Katherine.

Elena shook her head in disbelief, "So you were just gonna hand us all over to be killed?"

Katherine looked her in the eye, and told her the same thing she told Rose 500 years ago, "Better you die than I."

Back at the Grill, Caroline leaves Bonnie alone for a moment, which Luka takes advantage of. He explains that his father isn't very subtle, and was just fishing to see if she had picked up on them. He then shows her that he can do magic, too. That gets Bonnie to lower her guard, and the two begin bonding over magic.

Back in the tomb, Elena begins gathering her things to leave, when Katherine stops her.

"Leaving so soon? I haven's even told you the best part of the story," she said. Elena listened, as Katherine told her about her return home to Bulgaria, after leaving England. She told Elena about discovering the bloody remains of her family, that Klaus left for her to find. "He killed them, my entire family, just to get back at me for running. Whatever you do to escape Klaus, he will get his vengeance. On your friends, your family, and anyone that you've ever loved."

At that point, Anna flitted in, "That's enough, Katherine."

"Annabelle. Surely you must realize that she's doomed," said Katherine. She then held up the moonstone, "Unless of course you have this."

"And there it is,"said Anna. "You spun this whole thing so that we would have to get the stone from you, didn't you?"

"I didn't spin anything, Anna. It's the truth," Katherine argued.

"No. Let me guess. You wanna trade the stone for your freedom. Right?" Anna guessed. Katherine said nothing. Anna gave a light chuckle, "You manipulative, psychotic bitch."

Katherine laughed right back, "My freedom? I don't want my freedom, because when Klaus shows up to kill us all – and he will...I'll be in the tomb, where no vampire will enter, because they can't get out. I'll be the safest psychotic bitch in town."

Anna began laughing uncontrollably. Katherine and Elena both looked at her in confusion. When she finally stopped, she addressed Katherine, "Tell me, what were planning to do when Klaus showed up with a witch to lower the barrier spell, so he could finally kill you?"

The cockiness faded from Katherine's face. That was something she hadn't considered at all. Anna gave her one last gloating look, before leaving with Elena. Later that evening, when Phoebe got home she found Elena in her room. She was sitting on Phoebe's bed, looking rather upset.

"I take it your visit with Katherine didn't go well?" Phoebe guessed.

Elena told her everything that Katherine had told her, while she listened silently. When she was done, Phoebe found she still had nothing to say. Elena, though, looked on the verge of tears.

"I wanted to know the truth, and I got it," said Elena. She began to pace as she went on. "It's not just you and me that's in danger. I-It's Caroline, and it's Tyler, and it's Bonnie. They're all part of breaking the curse."

Phoebe continued to look at her sister, silently, from where she sat on her bed.

"I can't blame anyone else anymore, because it's not because Damon and Anna came to town to break the tomb open, or because Stefan and I fell in love," Elena went on. The tears were starting to come. "That's not why everyone that I love is in danger. It's because of me. Everything is because of me."

Phoebe stood up, and held her sister as she cried, "This isn't your fault, Elena. You didn't choose to be the doppelganger. And you didn't create the curse, or make this Klaus want to break it...we'll figure something out. I promise."

"But we can't, Phoebe. I told you, if we do anything, Klaus will kill everyone that we love," Elena replied.

"Then we'll figure something out, that won't allow him to take it out on us," said Phoebe. "Or at the very least, keep our friends from being the ones to die in the sacrifice. Trust me."

Meanwhile, at the Boarding House, Damon and Rose have a bonding moment. She tells him he reminds her of Trevor, because he talks a big game, but deep down he was the best friend you could ever ask for. She then tells him he's right to fight how he feels about Phoebe, because caring too much gets you dead, like Trevor. Phoebe is also human, which means he's going to have to lose her eventually. She tells him it might just be time to turn his humanity switch off, and save him the heartache of losing her. Damon tells her he will if she will, then the two have sex.

Later, Rose tells Damon the cruel truth of the humanity switch. When you're young and new, you have the option. But after a couple hundred years, the switch is no longer an option. At that point, you just have to pretend not to care. Before Damon can comment, Rose's phone rings. It's Slater. He tells Rose that the moonstone can be destroyed. All they need to do is get the moonstone, and a witch should be able to figure out the rest. Rose confirms that they can get the stone, and thanks him for his help.

After hanging up with Rose, Slater is compelled by Elijah to stake himself in the heart. Slater doesn't understand how he can compel him, because vampires can't compel other vampires. Elijah simply says he's special. Once Slater is dead, Luka's father – Jonas – asks Elijah if it was necessary to kill Slater. Elijah points out that he delivered his message – which was all they needed from him – now they just have to wait for the moonstone to turn up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry if it was a pain to try and read the foreign languages in this chapter, and I'm sorry if any translations were wrong. I figured it would be more interesting than saying "They said in such-n-such language". And the translations were types into Google, so blame Google for any wrong translations. As for the ones not translated in parenthesis, all she's saying is "I can speak {enter language}".
> 
> Still wondering what Phoebe's fascination is with that stupid tapestry? Don't worry, it'll be answered soon. When will Phoebe be able to talk to Damon about their relationship? Will it keep getting put off? Will Phoebe give up on it? Will Phoebe find out Damon's sleeping with Rose? If she does, how will she react? Will Phoebe be the one to try to sacrifice herself? Or will she try to help Elena do it to save their friends? Will Stefan be the one to get trapped inside the tomb with Katherine? Or will it be someone else? Who is Phoebe's new future friend? Since Caroline didn't tell Stefan about Tyler in this chapter, who will she tell now? Will she even tell anyone?
> 
> Tell me what you think so far, what you think will happen, and/or what you hope to see in the future.


	32. The Sacrifice

Chapter 32: The Sacrifice

It's been a couple of days, since the incident at the coffee shop, and Tyler's first full moon was fast approaching. Caroline had been meaning to tell someone about Tyler knowing what she was, but she couldn't decide who the best person to tell was. Elena and Bonnie were her friends, but telling them would only make her feel better about having someone to talk to about it. And Elena would probably convince her to talk to Stefan, who would probably then tell Damon. No matter how she looked at it, it seemed like Damon would find out, and if he found out, he'd kill Tyler – which Caroline did not want.

Eventually, Caroline decided to talk to Phoebe about Tyler. The two had recently began to build a friendship, and Phoebe was so logical she'd surely understand. And even though she and Damon were friends, she wouldn't want to tell him something that would make him want to kill Tyler even more than he already does. Phoebe also had very good judgment, so if she said they should let Stefan or anyone else in on this, then you can trust that she truly believed it was a good idea. Not because she didn't want to keep secrets from her boyfriend.

Caroline finally managed to build up the courage to talk to Phoebe late one night, and hit the call button on her phone, before she realized just how late it was. Thankfully, Phoebe wasn't sleeping yet when she received Caroline's call.

Phoebe looked at her phone in confusion, before answering, "I think you have the wrong twin."

"Is this Phoebe?" Caroline asked.

"Yes...?" Phoebe replied slowly.

"Then I didn't call the wrong twin," said Caroline. "I need to talk to you."

"About what?"

"I might've done something," Caroline said slowly.

"What did you do, Caroline?" Phoebe asked, still very confused as to why Caroline was calling her.

"...Told Tyler I was a vampire."

Phoebe was about to ask her why, when she heard a noise outside her room. She told Caroline to hold on for a moment, then crept out of her room to see what the sound was. It was just Rick and Jenna coming up the stairs. They were trying to be quiet so as not to wake anyone, especially John.

"Phoebe," said Rick, surprised to see her at the top of the stairs. He wasn't wearing anything except his boxers

Phoebe gave an awkward smile, "Rick...I, uh...heard a noise."

"That was us," said Jenna, feeling both awkward and embarrassed. "I'm sorry."

"We didn't think anyone was up," Rick added.

"Yeah, I'm a bit of a night owl," replied Phoebe.

After a moment of awkward silence, Rick offered Phoebe some of his ice cream, "Chunky Monkey?"

"No, thanks. I don't like banana-flavored things," said Phoebe.

"Right, well...I'm naked...mostly...so I'm gonna go," Rick replied. He then headed into Jenna's room. Jenna gave an awkward smile, and followed him.

Phoebe continued downstairs, and out onto the porch to finish her conversation with Caroline. She wanted to go outside, in case someone overheard their conversation. And given the late hour, non of the other vampires would be popping over for a visit.

Phoebe brought the phone back to her ear, "Sorry about that."

"That was extremely awkward, just listening to it," said Caroline.

"Tell me about it," Phoebe agreed. "Now, how did this happen? What did you say to him?"

"Not much," Caroline answered. "I was trying to keep the questions to a minimum...Are you mad?"

"No. No, I'm not mad. But what exactly did you tell him?" Phoebe asked.

"Well, he broke into my house to accuse me of being a werewolf, and when I laughed at him, he got mad. In the end, it just came out," she answered. "But after that, we mostly just compared traits, like cravings and heightened emotions."

"Did you tell him about Anna or the brothers? Or anyone else?" Phoebe asked.

"No, I told him I was the only vampire in town," Caroline answered.

"Good. The less he knows, the better," said Phoebe through a yawn. "I'm gonna head to bed. I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"Wait, no. Um, what do we do about Tyler?" Caroline asked her. "I―I don't want Damon to kill him, 'cause there's a full moon coming up, and Tyler's totally freaking out about it."

"Just help him the best you can. I mean, I don't recommend sticking around during the actual full moon, but if there's anything you can do to help him prepare or to ease his nerves, then do it," Phoebe advised.

"That's it? Just be his friend?"

"Well, yeah, he's still a person, Caroline. He's about to go through something that he can't even begin to understand, just like you did when you became a vampire. You needed a friend then, and he needs one now. I mean, it's not like he's got any other wolves to turn to for support, he's the only one here. And his uncle is dead," Phoebe explained. "If we can have a werewolf as a friend, instead of an enemy, then that would be fantastic! Just don't tell anyone else about this, right now. Not yet."

"I won't. I promise," replied Caroline. "Thanks, Phoebe."

"Night, Caroline."

While Phoebe had been talking to Caroline outside, Dr. Jonas Marten was inside taking some of Phoebe's things. He took hair from her hairbrush, her seashell necklace, and her watermelon lip smackers – all from her bedroom. On his way out, he took a photo of her from the living room.

The next morning, while Phoebe was on her run with Matt; Anna, Stefan, and Damon paid Katherine a visit in the tomb.

"Please...come on in," said Katherine, weakly. "There's plenty of room for all of us."

"I'd rather poke my eyes out," replied Damon.

"Mmm, they're such pretty eyes," Katherine cooed.

"We're here for the moonstone," said Stefan.

"Feel like tossing it over?" Damon asked.

"Tell you what," began Katherine. "You get your little witch to hocus pocus me out of here, you can have whatever you want."

"I thought you liked it in here, Katherine. Nice and safe, where Klaus can't get you," said Anna.

Katherine glared at her, "I've had time to reconsider."

"Meaning you're hungry," said Damon.

"I'm starving, Damon," said Katherine. "And dirty. But above all, I'm bored. At least running from Klaus isn't boring. So here's the deal – you get me out of here, you get the moonstone, and I'll disappear from Mystic Falls forever. Let me know what you decide."

Katherine held up the moonstone to taunt them, as she walked deeper into the tomb. The other three vampires shared a look, then headed for the Gilbert house to talk to the twins about what Katherine had said, and the plan that they had come up with to get the moonstone from her.

Phoebe returned from her run, shortly after Anna and the brothers arrived. They were already waiting for her in the kitchen with Elena, when she got there. Thankfully, John was away in physical therapy, and Jenna was out. The three vampires then told the twins about their visit with Katherine. Phoebe and Elena listened patiently, as they told the story.

When they were done, Elena spoke up, "You don't believe her, do you?"

"No, of course not. We just want the moonstone," said Anna.

"According to Rose's friend Slater, there's a way to destroy the spell that Klaus wants to break," said Stefan.

"No spell, no doppelganger sacrifice. Ergo, you both live," said Damon.

Phoebe raised her hand, as though she were in class, "How do you destroy it?"

"By releasing it from the moonstone," Stefan answered.

Phoebe and Elena shared a look, before Phoebe pressed further, "How do you guys even know this is gonna work?"

"'Cause we have a crafty witch on our side," said Damon.

"You discussed this Bonnie already?" Elena asked.

"She agreed to do anything she could to help us," replied Anna.

"It's Katherine who has the moonstone, she's not gonna give it to you," Elena argued.

"We're gonna get it from her," Stefan argued back.

"Well, what he means to say is that we will pry it from her cold, dead hand if we have to," said Damon.

"Bonnie just needs to find a way to release the seal long enough for us to get in, get the moonstone and get out in time for her to return it," Stefan explained.

Phoebe shared another look with her sister, "Well, it sounds like you guys have this all planned out."

Yep," said Damon. He looked at Phoebe with that usual flirtatious look of his, and whispered, "We're awesome."

"Except for one thing," said Phoebe.

"We don't want you to do it," Elena finished.

Stefan was taken aback. So were Damon and Anna. Damon looked at Phoebe to see if she really did agree with her sister, or if this was just another time that she was just too timid to argue with her sister about her being wrong. But this wasn't one of those times. Phoebe really did agree with her sister one this.

"What are you talking about? Elena, we don't have a choice," Stefan argued.

"What about Klaus?" Elena questioned.

"We'll find him," said Stefan. "But after we get the moonstone."

"And will that be _before_ or _after_ he kills everyone that we love, including the three of you?" Phoebe questioned.

"Phoebe, if we can despell the moonstone -" Stefan began.

Phoebe cut him off, "All that's going to do is piss Klaus off, and if Rose is right, and Katherine was telling the truth, then that means he's going to throw a tantrum and kill everyone we care about. You say this is about saving us, so by that logic it makes it our choice, and we said no."

Without another word, the twins walked out of the kitchen, leaving the brothers and Anna dumbfounded by their behavior. More so Phoebe's than Elena's. Phoebe's always been the one to fight, no matter what. To find a way to win in a no-win scenario. Now she's just giving up?

At school, Bonnie talks to Luka about witch stuff. She explains how hard it is for her to do magic, now, because it's so physically exhausting for her. He gives her his dog tags and shows her how to channel another witch for extra power. Afterwards, he forgets to get them back from her, before heading to class.

Meanwhile, Elena comes up with an idea to save her loved ones, but needs Phoebe's help. When she goes to talk to her sister, she finds her in her room, getting ready to leave.

"Where you going?" Elena asked.

Phoebe was sitting on her bed, fighting to put on her high-top converse, "There's something I wanna talk to Slater about – Rose's friend. I remember the way to the coffee shop where we met. I'm hoping he'll be there."

"Can I come with you?" Elena asked. From what she understood, this Slater person knew how to get in touch with the Originals, and that was something she needed.

"Sure," said Phoebe, finally getting her shoes on. "I just have to swing by the boarding house for a minute. I left my iPod there the other day."

When they got to the Boarding House, Elena waited in the car, while Phoebe ran upstairs to get her iPod. It was on the nightstand next to her bed – in the room Damon made for her. She snatched it up, and headed back downstairs. Just as she opened the door, Rose came down the stairs.

"It's not nice to leave a girl naked so early in the morning," said Rose. She thought Phoebe was Damon.

When Phoebe saw her, she was wearing nothing but a very short silk robe, and she looked just as surprised to see Phoebe as Phoebe was to see her. Rose smiled at her in embarrassment, while Phoebe could quite literally feel her heart break.

"Sorry, I thought you were..." Rose began.

Phoebe finished her thought for her, "Damon...why am I not surprised?"

Though Phoebe was doing her best to hide it, Rose was now noticing the pain in Phoebe's eyes. She tried to talk to her – even though she didn't know what to say – but Phoebe left, knowing Rose couldn't follow her out into the sun. As she hopped into the car, Elena could tell something was wrong with Phoebe, but she refused to talk about it, so she let it go.

While the twins begin their roadtrip, Matt talks to Tyler at school. He apologizes for his behavior the night of the masquerade, and tells him he's been avoiding him because he didn't know what to say. Tyler forgives him, and tells him not to worry about it. After walking away from Tyler, Matt has a very brief, awkward encounter with Caroline. Caroline then asks Tyler what he plans to do about the upcoming full moon. Tyler assures her he has a plan, but he really has no idea what to do. Caroline eventually convinces him to let her help him make a plan. Elsewhere, the rest of the gang meet up to make a plan to get the moonstone from Katherine.

Later, after arriving in Richmond, Phoebe and Elena go into the coffee shop to find Slater, but he isn't there. They begin asking around to see if anyone knows where he lives. Thankfully, someone does. Slater's apartment isn't far from the coffee shop, so the twins decide to walk there. When they arrive, they find the door is locked, and no one will answer the door.

"What do we do now?" Elena asked, afraid they'd come all this way for nothing.

Phoebe reached into her purse and pulled out what looked like a pocket manicure kit, and unzipped it. However, he tools inside of it weren't for manicuring nails.

"What's that?" Elena asked.

"Lock-picking set," Phoebe answered, beginning to pick the lock.

Elena's eyebrows shot up in surprise, "Why do you have a lock-picking set? Why do you even know how to pick a lock?"

Phoebe got the door open, then shrugged, "I got bored one day, and decided to learn how to pick a lock."

Elena didn't know what to say. What else didn't she know about her sister?

Phoebe returned the lock-picking tools to her purse, and entered the apartment. It was a very nice-looking loft he had. Phoebe was almost envious of it. As she continued to look around, she found a disturbing sight...Slater on the floor with a stake through his heart.

"I don't think Slater's gonna be much help," said Phoebe.

Elena rushed over to see whatever it was she was looking at. When she saw Slater, she looked even more defeated than she had five minutes ago.

"Now what do we do?" Elena asked.

"There's gotta be something here," said Phoebe, looking around. She spotted Slater's six-monitor computer, and walked over to it.

Elena followed her and began flipping through the papers on the desk, "Looks like whoever blew up the coffee shop killed Slater for his information. Probably to stop him from helping people like us."

"Actually, the coffee shop wasn't blown up," Phoebe corrected. "He threw a handful of coins at the window, which blew the glass inward. It was like an explosion, but not really."

"He?" Elena questioned. "Klaus?"

"No, Elijah," Phoebe corrected.

"But Elijah's dead," Elena argued.

"I thought so, too, but apparently not," said Phoebe. "I saw him. Right before the windows imploded. Anything about the moonstone, there?"

Elena sighed, "Nothing."

Phoebe sat at the computer, and tried waking the screens, "Monkeys...it's password protected."

"Can you figure out the password?" Elena asked.

"I can try, but I really didn't spend that much time with the guy," said Phoebe.

"If anyone can do it, Phoebe, it's you," said Elena. She left her sister to try hacking into the computer, while she looked out the window.

Meanwhile, at the Boarding House, Bonnie makes a dust that will stun Katherine for a few minutes, out of the old photo that Stefan keeps of her. While it burns down to an ash, Jeremy suggests that he take the dust to use on Katherine, and get the moonstone; since he has the Gilbert ring protecting him. Everyone shoots him down, claiming that it would be too dangerous. But after Bonnie's made the dust, Jeremy steals some of it to try his plan, anyway. He was tired of them all treating him like a child, asking Phoebe and Elena for permission to help out with things. He knew he could do this. And if he succeeded, they would _have_ to stop seeing him as a child.

Elsewhere, Caroline and Tyler check out the old Lockwood cellar in the woods to see if it would be a good place for him to lock himself up on the full moon. As they look around at the old claw marks in the stone, and the rusted chains, Tyler speculates that the purpose of the cellar was for his ancestors to lock themselves up on full moons.

Caroline looks around more and spots a small package tucked away. It's a small journal that belonged to Mason. He chronicles everything from when he triggered the curse to his first full moon. Not only that, but Tyler finds a memory card for a camera tucked inside.

Back at Slater's apartment, Phoebe finally breaks into Slater's computer.

"It's alive!" she exclaimed, reaching up towards the sky like a mad scientist.

"You figured out the password?" Elena asked, walking over.

"Kirsten Stewart," said Phoebe. "I'm a little disappointed in him for that. She is a terrible Bella Swan. I mean, the books are already way better, but still...Kirsten Stewart?"

"Phoebe focus," Elena snapped.

"Right," said Phoebe turning back to the computer. She began looking around the hard drive, but there was nothing there. "It looks like whoever killed him wiped the hard drive."

"Can you recover anything?" Elena asked.

"I'm not that good," Phoebe admitted. "For that, you'd need some kind of graduate from MIT or something. Someone who specializes in this stuff."

Elena looked annoyed. Not with Phoebe, but the fact that someone had erased her only means of contacting Klaus, and there was no way for Phoebe to recover it.

Thankfully for Elena, a light bulb went on for Phoebe, "But maybe I don't have to recover anything...Slater was smart, there's no way he'd have one copy of all that information. People like us _always_ have backups."

Hope was renewed for Elena, "And where would he keep those?"

"Backup server, an external hardrive, hard copies," Phoebe replied. As she spoke, she searched the computer for a backup server. "Gotcha."

"What?"

"He's got everything on a backup server...Hmm. Looks like this Cody Webber and Slater exchanged a lot of emails about Elijah," said Phoebe.

"You think he could get in touch with Klaus?" Elena asked.

"It's possible. Why?"

Elena spotted a phone number for Cody Webber, and took out her phone.

"Elena? Elena, what are you doing?" Phoebe asked her.

Elena's only response was holding up a finger to silence her sister, while she was on the phone. When someone answered the phone, Elena gave a quick message before hanging up, "I have a message for Klaus. The doppelganger is alive, and ready to surrender."

Phoebe stared at her in disbelief, as she gave Cody Slater's address, so they'd know where to find her.

After she hung up the phone, Phoebe asked her, "What the hell are you doing, Elena?"

"I'm getting Klaus' attention," she replied, simply.

"If Klaus knows you're alive, he won't stop until he finds you," said Phoebe. Elena just looked at her sister. "But that's what you want, isn't it? You'd rather give up now, and sacrifice yourself like some sort of martyr, than keep fighting."

"Phoebe, if we fight he'll kill everyone we love," Elena argued.

"This is Katherine all over again. You're just so quick to give up," Phoebe remarked.

"I fought Katherine, Phoebe. I didn't give up until she made good on her threats, and almost killed Jenna!" Elena replied.

"Yeah, but once we got rid of her you still gave up on everything."

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about Stefan. You claimed to love him so much, that you were willing to risk your family's safety and defy Katherine by continuing to see him behind her back; you were supposedly so torn up about having to end it; but you still won't get back together with him, even though Katherine can't hurt you anymore," said Phoebe.

"Because what's the point in getting back together, when Klaus is just going to end up ruining everything one way or another?" Elena argued. "Either he kills me in the sacrifice, or we fight and he kills everyone I love."

"Don't use that as an excuse. Stefan came to you before you knew about Klaus. He went to see you the night of the masquerade, and you turned him away," said Phoebe. Elena had nothing further to say, so Phoebe walked into the kitchen and texted Stefan. She told him what Elena had done, and that she needed help to get her out of there before Cody showed up.

Meanwhile, in the tomb, Jeremy arrives before the others to proceed with his own plan in the hopes that everyone will look at him as more of an equal than a child. He blows the dust into Katherine's face, knocking her out cold. He frisks her for the stone, but she doesn't have it on her. Jeremy walks deeper into the tomb, and finds the stone. On his way back out he finds that Katherine is now awake. She attacks him, but he still manages to toss the stone out of tomb for the others to find.

Elsewhere, Anna, Bonnie, and the Salvatore brothers head for the tomb to enact their plan. Just as they reach the tomb, Stefan receives Phoebe's text. He wants to tell the others, why he has to leave, but he knows they'll argue with him on who should go save Elena and who should stay there to get the stone, or whether or not they should wait to get the stone another day, etc; and he doesn't have the time to argue with them. Night is approaching, and then the vampires will be arriving to take Elena. Stefan had no choice, but to leave immediately, without a word to the others.

Meanwhile, the others went down to the tomb to set up for the spell. When they got down there they found the moonstone, oddly, sitting outside of the tomb. Not only that, but Katherine had Jeremy inside the tomb. Jeremy was bleeding from his neck, where Katherine had been feeding on him. Damon had to stop Anna from running in to save him. Katherine told them to let her know when they got to the tomb open, while she plays with Jeremy in the back. As the trio set up the torches for Bonnie, they wonder where the hell Stefan's run off to.

While Bonnie does her best to open the tomb and save Jeremy, Elijah has his witch help him find Phoebe. Dr. Jonas Martin lays out the items he stole from Phoebe on a table in front of he and Elijah. He cut the palm of Elijah's right hand, and told him to place it on the photo of Phoebe, while he held Elijah's other hand. Jonas then instructs Elijah to close his eyes, clear his mind, and search for Phoebe.

Back at Slater's apartment, Phoebe makes some tea in the kitchen. When she glances up at the window, she sees Elijah's face. She quickly turns around to see if he's behind her, but he isn't there. Knowing how fast vampires can move, she runs out of the kitchen trying to find him, but again, he isn't there.

"Phoebe?" Elena questioned. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing," said Phoebe, still looking around. "I thought I saw something, but...never mind."

Phoebe headed back into the kitchen to finish her tea, but Elena stopped her, "Why are you still here?"

Phoebe gave her sister a funny look.

"I mean, it obvious what you think of my plan to give myself up," she clarified. "So why stick around? Why not try to make me leave?"

"Because I know you'd never leave, and there's no way I can force you to leave with me. And, unlike you, I don't give up on those I care about. I don't abandon them when things get hard, or a little scary," Phoebe replied. She said it a bit more harshly than she'd meant to, but it was necessary.

Elena had to believe she was staying for any other reason than to make sure she stuck around for when Stefan arrived. And since Elena had Cody's number in her phone, it would make no difference to simply run away, and have Cody pick her up somewhere else. If Phoebe was all of the sudden on board with Elena's plan, that would be suspicious – because she would obviously be doing it just to keep Elena around, while she waited on backup. If Phoebe left, that would also be suspicious – because she'd most likely be making a call to one of their friends, like she'd already done. That's why she didn't leave the apartment to text Stefan, or do it in front of her. Phoebe had to play this very carefully, because even though Elena wasn't as smart or observant as she was, she still knew her own sister pretty well.

Meanwhile, Caroline and Tyler dive into the journal and video that Mason left behind. The video is of Mason transforming on his first full moon. It shows him weakening himself with wolfsbane water, and restrained himself with retractable cables for mountain climbing. Tyler fast forwards through the video, while Caroline reads the journal. They're both horrified by what they see on the recording, and the note in the journal that said Mason thought he'd black out from all the pain, but he never did. He felt everything. For hours.

After night falls, Stefan finally makes it to Slater's apartment in Richmond. He doesn't bother knocking, he just walks right in.

"Stefan What are you doing here?" Elena questioned, surprised to see him. Stefan just looked at Phoebe. "You called him."

"Technically, I texted him," Phoebe answered.

"How could you-" Elena began.

"You two can fight in the car. Let's go," Stefan interrupted.

"No," said Elena.

"Elena," Stefan began.

"I'm not going with you," Elena argued. "You know, I don't question why you two and everyone else tries so hard to save me all the time. You shouldn't question why I would try to save all of you."

Phoebe's face softened, and she placed a hand on her sister's shoulder, "You make a valid point, you really do. But we aren't questioning your motives to commit martyrdom. We're just say we aren't going to let you do it."

Suddenly, all the anger and frustration that Elena was feeling began to wash away, as she felt a wave of calm wash over her. As Phoebe finished talking, Elena became so calm she was beginning to feel sleepy. She tried to ask what was going on, but was too tired to even think, much less speak. After a few more seconds, Elena fell to the floor, unconscious.

Stefan looked at Phoebe in surprise, "Did you...Did you drug her?"

"Something like that. I'll explain later. Let's just get her out of here, first," replied Phoebe.

Stefan nodded, and bent down to pick up Elena. He carries her down to his car, and buckles her in.

"You should get going. I don't know how long that's going to keep her down," said Phoebe.

"What about you?" Stefan asked.

"I'll be right behind you," she promised.

"You better," said Stefan, getting into the driver seat of his Porsche.

Phoebe watched them drive away, before getting into her own car. But she soon realized that she'd forgotten her purse in the apartment, "Monkeys..."

Phoebe quickly ran back upstairs to Slater's apartment, grabbed her purse as quick as she could, and headed for the door. Unfortunately, her path was blocked by three vampires standing in the doorway.

"We're here to meet the doppelganger," said the one Phoebe assumed was Cody.

Phoebe's mind went blank. She couldn't think of a way out of this. Stefan was already gone, and even if he wasn't there was no telling how old these vampires were. They could be much older than him. Even then, it still wouldn't be a fair fight.

Two of the vampires stepped towards her, leaving one vampire blocking the doorway. As Phoebe struggled to think of a plan, the vampire blocking the door fell to the floor, dead. In his place stood...Elijah?

Elijah flitted closer to the other two vampires that stood between him and Phoebe. He stared at Phoebe for a few minutes, before asking them, "Who are you?"

"Who are you?" Cody challenged.

Elijah looked at Cody, and smirked, "I'm Elijah."

Cody became pale. Undoubtedly due to his tone he had taken with Elijah, "We were gonna bring her to you. For Klaus. She's the doppelganger. I don't know how she exists, but she does. Klaus will want to see her."

Elijah – still looking at Phoebe – asked simply, "Does anyone else know that you're here?"

"No," said Cody.

"Wrong answer," Phoebe mumbled.

Elijah's smirk spread into a smile, "Well, then, you have been incredibly helpful."

As soon as the words left his mouth, Elijah thrust his hands into the chests of the two vampires, and tore out their hearts. He stared at Phoebe the whole time, and Phoebe didn't blink. She knew it was coming, just like with Trevor at the abandoned house. She could see it in his eyes that he was going to kill them. Why else would he ask them if anyone else knew they were there? The one thing Phoebe _didn't_ understand was why? She was going to ask him, but before she could, he flitted away.

Meanwhile, back at the tomb, Bonnie tries channeling Luka to help her open the tomb, but it isn't enough. Her nose begins to bleed, and she passes out. Anna kneels down by her side and pleads with her to wake up and help Jeremy. Though Bonnie wakes up, she tells Anna that she just isn't strong enough to bring down the spell, even temporarily. Katherine feels they need further incentive, and begins feeding on Jeremy again. Anna charges in, knocking Katherine aside. She then tosses Jeremy out to safety.

Elsewhere, Tyler questions why Caroline is helping him. She tries telling him that he just seems like he could use a friend. Someone to help him through this. But Tyler doesn't by it. They were never friends before, so why are they now?

Caroline took a seat next to him on the couch, "I was alone when I turned. I had no control over my body or...my urges. Someone tried to help me, but like you I questioned why this person would help me. It made no sense for them to do anything for me, when I was always so mean to them. Somewhere along the way I stopped listening to this person, and became convinced that they really didn't care about me at all, and I killed someone. But after even after that, she defended me. She believed in me. She was still willing to help me...I just don't want any of that to happen to you. I don't want you to have to go through this alone."

Tyler seemed to accept this explanation, but still had one question, "Who was it? Ther person you were so mean to, that still decided to help you at the end of the day?"

Caroline thought about telling him that she couldn't say, but she needed him to trust her, and she didn't think Phoebe would mind, so she told him the truth, "It was Phoebe."

"Gilbert?" he questioned, in surprise. Caroline nodded. "Wow. That is surprising. After all the crap you put her through over the years...Does she know about me, too?"

Again Caroline thought about lying, but went with the truth instead, "She actually figured out what your uncle was, before he left. She's the one that told me about your family's curse."

"How does she know about all of this?" he asked.

Now it was time to lie, again. Caroline shrugged, "She's just really open-minded, and smart. I don't think she really started looking into supernatural stuff, until she found me after I turned. I think that's when she started doing all kinds of research on this stuff."

To Caroline's temporary relief, someone rang her doorbell, thus interrupting the conversation. It was Matt at the door. He was on his way home from work, when he found himself at Caroline's. He then admits that he misses her, which makes Caroline very happy to hear. Unfortunately, Tyler emerges from her house, giving Matt the wrong idea about the two.

By the time Elena got home, Damon and Bonnie had finally managed to tear Jeremy away from the tomb and get him home – though Anna did most of the convincing. She told him there was nothing she could do to help her right now, and that sitting there all night, bleeding wasn't going to help anyone. So he reluctantly left her there, to return home. Bonnie bandaged up his neck, while Damon told Stefan and Elena what happened at the tomb.

Phoebe arrived just as he wrapped up the story, and was beginning to question where Stefan had run off to. Unhappy with her sister, Elena shot her sister a look on her way upstairs to see Jeremy.

"What was that all about?" Damon asked, noticing the tension between the twins.

Phoebe ignored him, and joined the brothers in the kitchen, "Sorry I'm late. I was, uh, briefly detained after you left."

"What happened? You okay?" Stefan asked.

"I'm fine, and I'll tell you later," Phoebe replied. "Why's your brother here?"

"Because your brother did something very stupid tonight," answered Damon.

Phoebe continued to look at Stefan, as though waiting for him to answer her question. She refused to even acknowledge Damon's existence.

"Apparently Jeremy got it in his head that he could retrieve the moonstone on his own, and ended up getting stuck in the tomb with Katherine," said Stefan. Seeing the concern on her face, he added, "Don't worry, Anna apparently went in there after him and got him out. But now she's stuck in there."

"Well, this has just been an _awesome_ day," said Phoebe, sarcastically.

"What happened with you guys?" Damon asked.

Stefan looked at Phoebe, assuming she'd answer him, but she still refused to acknowledge that Damon was even speaking to her. The brothers shared a look. Neither could understand why she was ignoring Damon.

"Uh, Phoebe? Why did you and Elena go to Richmond?" Stefan asked her.

"Richmond? What the hell were you doing in Richmond?" Damon asked.

Phoebe looked at Stefan, "This morning you said that Slater knew of a way to destroy the moonstone and make it useless. I wanted to ask him how that was possible, and find out any other information, if I could. But when we got there, he was dead. I checked his computer, but there was nothing in there about how to destroy the moonstone. Elena, on the other hand, found exactly what she wanted."

"A way to contact Klaus," Stefan guessed.

Phoebe tapped her nose, "That's when I texted you, and kept her occupied until you got there."

"Why did Elena wanna contact Klaus?" Damon asked.

Phoebe ignored him, again.

"She wanted to give herself up to him to spare the rest of us," Stefan answered.

"Okay, enough. You've been ignoring me, since you walked through the door. You won't even look at me," said Damon. "What's going on with you?"

Phoebe didn't answer.

Stefan waited a moment to see if she was going to answer him, before addressing her, "Phoebe? Are you gonna answer his question?"

"Nope," said Phoebe.

Damon looked annoyed, "Nice. Very mature."

"Well, at least I don't tell someone 'I love you' for the first time – when I think they're sleeping – and then hop into bed with the very person that just had them kidnapped, so they could trade them to an original vampire," said Phoebe calmly, without even looking at him. As she headed out of the kitchen, she added, "Goodnight, Stefan."

Meanwhile, Elijah sat in a chair at the Martin's apartment, reading _Futility._

"I trust your mission was a success?" Jonas asked him.

"It was. Thanks to your shadow spell, I was able to track her down quite easily," replied Elijah. "Either way, I suppose it's a good thing you went to their house the other night, and took a few of her things."

"Why's that?"

Elijah looked up from the book, "Because now we know there are two of them to keep safe."

Jonas made a face that said he agreed. Whether the spell worked or not, it was good to know that there were two of them.

"I need to find a way to insert myself into the town, into their lives," said Elijah, looking out of the window.

"You think they need you around more to keep them safe?" Jonas asked.

"Oh, no, those brothers would die before they let anything happen to them. All of their friends would," he replied. "I simply would like to get to know this Phoebe a little better. She's quite remarkable. Smart, clever, resilient, and quite fearless...She's so different from the other doppelgangers that I've met. She also seemed to know me, before we met. She somehow knew what I looked like when I was still human...I must know how she knew that...I must know what other remarkable traits lay buried beneath the surface of this girl..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you Stoebe fans, I have a pretty good feeling that you'll like the next chapter, because Stefan and Phoebe will be hanging out for almost the entire chapter. Hopefully that will make up for this crappy chapter. While more information is given on Phoebe, there will also be more questions to arise. The secret character to be written in early will be here in Chapter 35.  
> Let me know what you think will happen in the future, what you hope to see in the future, and/or what you think so far. Any and all suggestions are welcome, as are any constructive criticism.


	33. By the Light of the Moon

Chapter 33: By the Light of the Moon

It's the day after Phoebe and Elena's trip to Richmond, and the day before Tyler's first full moon. He watches Mason's first transformation a few more times, to make sure he didn't miss anything, while he double-checks to make sure he has everything he needs for tomorrow night. He also tries calling Mason, again, begging him to come back and help him through this; but he only manages to reach Mason's answering machine. However, the person to hear Tyler's message isn't Mason.

The next morning, while Phoebe is on her morning run with Matt, Bonnie and Elena sit in Elena's room discussing the moonstone. Bonnie – and everyone else – wants her to focus on despelling the moonstone, but Elena would prefer she focus on getting Anna out of the tomb. Thought she genuinely does want to help Anna get out of there and back to Jeremy, her true motives are less pure. If everyone were busy focusing on helping Anna get out of the tomb, then Elena could steal the moonstone, and run away to Klaus.

As a test to see if she could be trusted, Bonnie leaves Elena alone with the moonstone to get some coffee downstairs. Elena takes the moonstone, and heads downstairs with her keys. As she reaches the base of the stairs, Phoebe returns from her run.

"Where are you off to?" Phoebe asked her, noticing her keys in hand.

Elena forced a civil tone, "To see Stefan."

"Oh? You two finally gonna work things out?" Phoebe asked.

"That's really none of your business," Elena snapped, more harshly than she meant to.

Phoebe nodded, and stood aside, "Well, don't let me hold you up."

Elena headed for the open door, but found she couldn't pass through it. An invisible force was stopping her from leaving the house. Elena looked back at her sister, "What did you do?"

"I simply made the suggestion that you be placed under magical house arrest, until you can be trusted again," Phoebe answered, innocently. Elena glared. Phoebe smiled, and headed up the stairs, "I will always be twelve steps ahead, Elena."

While Elena continued to try forcing her way through the door, Phoebe proceeded to her room. She looked over at Marvin on her bed, and finished her thought, "Of you and everyone else, it would seem."

Meanwhile, at the tomb, Damon and Jeremy drop off some things for Anna: pillow, blanket, lamps, something to read, and some blood. Knowing that Katherine would fight Anna for the blood, Jeremy decided to bring enough for them both, rather than none at all.

Over at the Lockwood manor, Tyler heads out to get set up for the night's full moon. He's momentarily delayed when a strange woman drops by, looking for Mason. She tells Tyler and his mother that Mason never returned to Florida, and she doesn't know where he is.

Back at the Gilbert house, Phoebe has finished her shower, and returned to her room to get dressed. She puts on her underwear, and a pair of skinny jeans with rips in them – from her own clumsiness, not for decoration – and then flipped through her t-shirts. She knew she wanted to wear something casual, but couldn't make up her mind which shirt she was in the mood to wear.

As she stood there in her jeans and bra, trying to pick a shirt, Stefan came in through her window. Phoebe didn't notice him, but the moment her realized she wasn't wearing a shirt, he tried to leave. He turned around and quietly tried to sneak out of the window, but Phoebe began talking, and he froze.

"Yes...this is a fertile land, and we will thrive," said Phoebe. "We will rule over all this land and we will call it...this land."

Stefan turned back around, and looked at her funny. She took a brown t-shirt off of its hanger, and began pulling it over her head.

"I think we should call it your grave," she continued, using a funny voice. She went back to her normal voice, as she finished, "Ah. Curse your sudden, but inevitable betrayal."

Phoebe stopped in her tracks when she saw Stefan. The two looked around awkwardly, trying to find words. Eventually, Phoebe was able to speak, "How long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough to realize I no longer question the things you do," Stefan answered.

Phoebe laughed lightly, as she moved to put on her converse.

"Where are you off to?" Stefan asked.

"The hobby store," Phoebe answered. "Time to collect on those new art supplies that Jeremy and Anna owe me. After that, I'm going to the park to do said art."

"Sounds fun."

"Yes it does. Especially since I haven't had much down time, lately, and probably won't have any in the near future," she replied. "I'm supposed to play Historical Society Hostess to some writer doing a book on small towns in Virginia, starting tonight."

"How'd you get roped into that?" Stefan chuckled.

"Carol Lockwood guilt-tripped me into it by reminding me that she has a hard enough time taking over her husband's responsibilities as Mayor, so there is no way she could do this, too," said Phoebe. "Plus, my Aunt Miranda was in charge of this stuff before she died, so I'm already somewhat familiar with it all."

"Sounds like you've got a lot on your plate. When are you supposed to sleep?"

Phoebe looked at him seriously, "What is this 'sleep' you speak of?"

Stefan laughed, "Want some company? I mean, to the hobby store?"

"Sure!" she replied, somewhat excitedly. "I'll, uh, meet you downstairs. I've already loaded my things into the car."

Stefan nodded and left the way he'd come in. Phoebe went down the human way – through the front door – ignoring Elena's glares along the way. As the two road to the nearest hobby store, Stefan asked her about the one thing she'd never gotten around to explaining:

"So how did you drug Elena, back at Slater's apartment?"

"Technically speaking, I didn't drug her," said Phoebe.

"Then what did you do?" Stefan pressed.

"I made her so calm that she fell asleep," said Phoebe.

"But how? If you didn't drug her, then how did you knock her out?" he questioned.

Phoebe took a deep breath, and told Stefan all about her power. Well, except for seeing Elijah's face in the water at the abandoned house. She told him all about how she figured out she had empathic abilities, and how Anna and Rick had been helping her learn to control them. She also told him about them teacher her to fight vampires. When she was through talking, Stefan had only one question:

"Why did you keep this a secret from the rest of us?"

"Because I knew you'd all treat me like a porcelain doll that needed protecting. Damon, especially," she replied. "But I'm not Elena. I don't want to sit there, helpless, waiting to be rescued."

"I know you're not like Elena, we all do. But if you had told us about this mood control power of yours-" Stefan began.

"You would still treat me like I was fragile, because at the end of the day I still have Cystic Fibrosis. I'm still weak, even by human standards. And Damon – for some reason – is already of the mindset that I need him to be my knight in black leather armor," Phoebe argued. "If you all knew the processes of building up a tolerance to pain so I could siphon it away from my friends when I need to, or how much energy and focus is required to use my power – on vampires especially – then you would all argue that it's too risky with all the health problems that I have, already."

Stefan couldn't argue with that. She was right. If they had been given the chance to really think it over and discuss it, they would have argued that she _was_ already weak by human standards, and that exerting herself like she was and putting herself through all that pain to build a tolerance wasn't safe for her. Damon alone would rather lock her up in the basement, than let her put herself through all of that.

"I didn't lie about the exercise thing," said Phoebe. "The doctor really did say that I should exercise more. He's been saying that for years."

"So why decide to tell me the truth?" he asked. "I mean, you could've lied and said that you did drug her."

"I could've...but you're my friend. I didn't want to lie," said Phoebe.

Stefan smiled, "Well, it's good to know I'm not the only one that values this friendship."

"Of course, I value this friendship! I'm Lexi 2.0, remember?" Phoebe joked.

Stefan laughed, "So is it still draining to control someone's mood?"

"Only with vampires. The heightened emotions you guys have requires more energy to control," she explained. "But it's getting easier. Just not as easy as humans."

"Makes sense," he replied, thoughtfully. His eyebrows furrowed, as he began to concentrate on something. "Is this 'Nightmare Before Christmas'?"

Phoebe looked at Stefan with similar furrowed brows, then glanced over at the radio. Something was playing, but it was inaudible – to human ears. She turned the volume up, and Stefan was right.

"Oogie Boogie's song," she confirmed. "You could hear that?"

"Yep...and the one before it," said Stefan. "That one was certainly, uh...interesting."

Phoebe was almost afraid to see what the previous song was. She had only made the CD recently, so she wasn't sure what each track was, yet. She hit the back button twice to go to the previous track, and knew within the first second what the song was. By second two, she'd turned off the radio entirely.

"So I take it this is _your_ CD, not Jeremy's?" Stefan laughed.

Phoebe shook her head, slowly, and said, "...Yes..."

Stefan resisted the urge to laugh harder, "It has a good beat."

"Oh, is that why you're laughing?" Phoebe retorted.

"I'm laughing, because I've never seen you this embarrassed," said Stefan. "At least, not around me."

"I'm embarrassed, because Jeffree Star is a _very_ private pleasure, of mine. Along with Blood on the Dance Floor and Hollywood Undead – well, _some_ Hollywood Undead," said Phoebe. "Not even Matt knows I listen to that type of music. Jeremy _was_ the only one that knew about it, but now you know, too...this better not leave this car."

"It'll be our secret," he promised. Phoebe seemed satisfied with that, and went back to her driving. Stefan, on the other hand, turned the radio back on.

"You don't have to play it to make me feel better," said Phoebe.

"I'm not," he said. "I told you, it has a good beat."

Phoebe shook her head, and smiled.

"What's this song called, anyway?" Stefan asked.

"Lollipop Luxury."

Back at the Gilbert house, Jeremy and Damon return from their visit to the tomb. Elena's moved on to sitting on the couch, pouting, and Bonnie's left John to babysit, while she works on the moonstone.

"You know you should really lock your door," said Damon, standing at the base of the stairs with John. "The spell only keeps her in, not the rest of the world out."

"I'll keep that in mind," said John.

Damon glanced up at the stairs, and asked as casually as he could, "So where's Phoebe?"

"Not here," said John, simply.

"Where'd she go?" Damon asked.

"I thought you didn't care anymore," John replied.

Damon looked at him, and gave one of his famous smirks, "I never said I didn't care, I just said I didn't want a romantic relationship with her."

"Because you were afraid of corrupting her," John finished for him. "But what makes you think you have that much power over her? She's a smart girl, Damon. She's not some weak-willed thing, desperate for love and affection, like you were...are."

Damon's smirk vanished, and his eyes narrowed, "I thought you'd be happy, John. I mean, you never wanted your daughter with a vampire in the first place."

"You're right, I didn't. I still don't. But she's still me daughter, and you've hurt her, yet again. That's what bothers me," said John. "Do it a third time and our deal comes off the table."

Damon got cocky, "Sure it will. And then Phoebe will hate you forever."

John smiled, "Damon, if you hurt her again, I don't think she's gonna care whether I kill you or not. And even if she does, I can handle having her hate me for the rest of her life. That's part of being a father. The question is, can _you_ handle her hating you for the rest of her life?"

Elsewhere, Stefan and Phoebe arrive at the hobby store. As they get out of the car, Stefan jokes, "You know, I think I've figured it out. You can pick locks, hack computers, speak several very foreign languages...Admit it. You're a spy."

Phoebe laughed, "They would never let me be a spy."

"Let? You practically are one, already," Stefan teased. "I mean, just look at all those skills you have, along with the fact that you're learning how to fight, and you know how to keep secrets from everyone including your best friend."

"Everyone has secrets, Stefan," said Phoebe. "Your biggest one is that you're a vampire. And once you know that one, your biggest secret becomes your bloodaholicism."

"What's _your_ biggest secret?" Stefan asked her, opening the door for her.

"That is for me to know, and you to never find out, unless absolutely necessary," said Phoebe. She entered the store, and grabbed a shopping cart.

"Well, that hardly seems fair," said Stefan, catching up to her. "You know my biggest secrets. Even the not-so-big ones."

"Yes, but I only found them out because it was absolutely necessary," she replied, looking at the jewelry-making section. "Don't worry about it so much, Stefan. When they become relevant, all secrets come out. Nothing ever stays secret forever."

As usual, she made valid points. She figured out he and Damon were vampires, because she was smart and observant, and Damon didn't seem to care about who knew what he was or didn't. She learned about Stefan forcing Damon to turn in 1864, because it was necessary to help her save him from himself. She found out about Katherine's resemblance to the twins, because it became relevant. All secrets came out, when they became relevant. Phoebe's secrets, like everyone else's, would come out in time. He just had to be patient and wait. Though, until then, it would drive him crazy knowing she knew more of his secrets than he did hers.

Stefan looked around, and saw a familiar-looking charm, "That looks like one of your necklaces."

Phoebe looked where he was pointing, and saw a purple, crystallized heart, "Oh, yeah, that's because I bought it here and made it into a necklace. I make almost all of my jewelry."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Take a look around. You'll see a lot of familiar charms and pendants," said Phoebe.

Stefan looked around, and was amazed to see a lot of familiar charms. Some Phoebe had made into necklaces, some she had made into earrings, and some she had made into bracelets. It wasn't that Stefan paid that much attention to Phoebe's jewelry – though some of it was pretty interesting – he just felt hints of familiarity with some of the things he saw.

Phoebe decided not to get anything from the jewelry section. She wanted to use her money to get other art supplies, so they moved on. Their next stop was the drawing section. Stefan had no idea that there were so many different types of sketchpads, and they all came in different sizes, too. They had pads for regular sketching, watercolors, charcoal, pastels, mixed media, etc. Some of them came with your standard white paper, and some came with tanned paper.

Along the opposite wall, were various different kinds of pencils. Some were mechanical, some were wooden. Some were colored, some were charcoal. They had pencils that were numbered for various degrees of shading. There were even different types of sharpeners and erasers!

"Wow," said Stefan. "I had no idea there was so much variety involved in drawing."

Phoebe laughed, as she continued to look at the sketchpads, "Oh, you have no idea."

She grabbed an average-sized, tanned paper pad for pastels, and tossed it into the cart. Then she looked at the pencils. She grabbed a pack of pastel color pencils, and tossed them into the cart with the pad.

"That's pretty specific," Stefan noted. "What are you planning on sketching?"

"The Sun and the Moon Curse tapestry," she answered.

"Why that?"

"I promise to tell you, _after_ I've sketched it," she replied.

As long as it wasn't another secret he'd have to wait who-knows-how-long to hear, he could accept that.

Next was the painting section. Phoebe grabbed a few new brushes, then looked at the do-it-yourself canvases. Stefan wasn't sure what it was they were looking at. All he saw were several frame pieces, clamps, staple guns, and rolls of canvas material.

"You can make your own canvas," said Phoebe, sensing the question on his mind.

"I knew that," Stefan lied.

Phoebe smiled, and grabbed a few frame pieces. She tossed those into the cart, along with some clamps – she had a staple gun at home, already. She tried reaching for the rolls of canvas, but they were too high.

Stefan laughed at her, "Want some help?"

Phoebe stood aside, and Stefan reached for the material. Unfortunately, he too wasn't tall enough to reach them.

"Ha!" said Phoebe.

Stefan began looking around for an employee to ask for help.

"Never gonna happen," said Phoebe. "They can sense when they're needed...like a printer."

"Then how do we get your canvas material?" Stefan asked.

Phoebe shrugged, "Give me a boost?"

Stefan made a face of agreement, then bent down with his hands together for her to step in. Phoebe placed her hands on his shoulders for support, and stepped into his hands. Very carefully, Stefan lifted her up to reach the rolls of canvas.

"I fell like a cheerleader," Phoebe remarked, holding onto the shelf. In a stereotypical perky voice, she added, "Ready? Okay!"

Stefan laughed, and Phoebe wobbled.

"Why don't we put a cork in the jokes, until you're safely on the ground?" Stefan suggested.

"Nah. With your super reflexes, I trust you to catch me, if I fall," said Phoebe.

Stefan, on the other hand, would prefer not to test that theory; so he looked up at her, to make sure he held her steady. As Phoebe reached for the top roll, and began pulling it out, her shirt lifted a little bit. It wasn't much, but it was enough for Stefan to catch a glimpse of a scar on her belly. Stefan did a double-take at the scar. It was located a little bellow her bellybutton, and just barely visible above the waistline of her pants. The scar was definitely surgical, and it was curved.

The next thing Stefan knew, Phoebe was dropping the roll of canvas material onto the floor, "Got it. Ready for dismount, girlfriend!"

Stefan smiled and rolled his eyes. He tossed Phoebe further into the air, like a cheerleader, and caught her on her way down. Phoebe giggled, and Stefan put her down. He helped her load the roll of canvas into the cart, and then into the back of the car – after she paid for it.

As they loaded everything into the car, Stefan decided to ask her about the scar, "So I saw your scar. What happened? Did you have your appendix taken out?"

Phoebe became visibly uncomfortable. Any glimmer of a smile vanished from her face, and her eyes seemed sad – though she tried to hide it by not looking at him, "I had something removed."

That was all she said on the matter. And once she did, she walked away to bring the cart to the cart return.

It was very clear that this was a sensitive subject for her. Stefan closed the trunk, and sat back into the passenger seat. When Phoebe joined him, she was silent. Stefan wondered if he should apologize or just let it go. He'd never seen her this bothered by something, and didn't want her to feel obligated to tell him what happened. That said, he decided to just let it go. But how could he get her to cheer up?

Stefan reached over, and turned the radio back on. He put the CD on the 'Lollipop Luxury' track, and began doing the most ridiculous dance moves – the kind you can't help but laugh at. Phoebe glanced at him out the corner of her eye, and began to laugh. Once she stopped laughing, she joined in. And when Nicki Minaj's part came up, Phoebe took the lead on that, impressing the hell out of Stefan.

Meanwhile, back in Mystic Falls, Tyler finally makes it to the Grill to meet up with Caroline. Before they leave, he tells her about Jules – Mason's friend from Florida – showing up at their house, claiming that Mason's been missing this whole time. Caroline pretends not to know that Mason never made it back to Florida, and the two leave. On the way out, Caroline texts Damon about Jules.

Over at the Gilbert house, Damon excuses himself to look into the mysterious friend of Mason. He talks to Liz about her, first, but all she knows is that Jules just filed a missing persons report on Mason. Damon doesn't like that. He calls Rick to help him do recon on Jules, since everyone else is preoccupied with other things.

Out in the woods, Caroline tries comforting Tyler – about Mason – by telling him that he probably just stopped to surf somewhere, since that's his thing. She tells him that Mason is probably fine, and will turn up soon. Tyler accepts her suggestion, and moves on.

Back at the Lockwood's, Jules takes her leave. Carol tells her to hope for the best – regarding Mason's whereabouts – and sends her on her way. After leaving the Lockwood's, Jules makes a phone call. She tells the person on the other end that Mason is missing, and that he lied. There _is_ another werewolf in Mystic Falls.

Meanwhile, Stefan and Phoebe arrive at the park. Together, they carry the things Phoebe needs into the park to get set up: blanket, picnic basket, her new sketchpad, and pastel pencils. Phoebe picks the sunniest part of the park to sit.

"Most people prefer the shade," said Stefan, laying out the blanket for them to sit on.

"Well, the sun is the best source of light – especially for artwork – and if I sit in the shade-" Phoebe began.

"Then you won't be able to see as well," Stefan finished.

Phoebe tapped her nose at him. While she began to spread out her pastel pencils, she couldn't help but wonder something, "So what did Damon say, after I left the other night?"

"You know Damon. He didn't really say anything. He just walked away, and hasn't said anything about it since," said Stefan.

"And _you_ know Damon. He doesn't necessarily say things with words," Phoebe retorted.

"He was – is – like he always is, when you're upset with him," said Stefan. "He's bothered."

"Well, he's an idiot...thinking he could corrupt me," Phoebe mumbled.

"To be fair, you did kick Katherine, while she was already down. So to speak."

"That doesn't mean...everybody has a little darkness in them, Stefan. They may not like it, or wanna know about it, but it's there. And what I mean by 'darkness' is emotions like anger, misery, sorrow, shame. But those emotions – like their more positive counterparts: love, happiness, hope – make us do things we may later regret. I _hate_ Katherine, and that's no secret. The only good thing I can say she's done is turn you and Damon into vampires, because I selfishly can't imagine my life without the two of you in it, and I don't want to. But why is it okay for you two to try and kill her out of anger, and not me? I'm just a weak little human, Stefan. If I want to hurt her, I kind of _have_ to do it while she's already down. And I twisted the knife like I did, because it was a just a small throwing knife. I doubt she even felt me stab her with it," Phoebe explained. "I'm sorry that it freaked you guys out, but..."

"You're right. As vampires having to deal with a certain level of darkness within, every day, we're the last to be able to judge. But that also makes it easier to assume that our darkness is rubbing off on someone as pure-hearted as you," said Stefan. "We haven't been human for 150 years, we barely remember what it was like to be a weak human. I'm sorry we never stopped to consider things from your perspective."

Phoebe offered him a container of mixed, fresh fruit from the picnic basket, "Apology accepted."

Stefan smiled, and took a piece of fruit. As he ate it, Phoebe took out a pair of large headphones. They were the super large kind from the '70s that block out all surrounding sounds.

"Wow. I, uh, haven't seen a pair of those, since the '70s," Stefan commented.

Phoebe smiled, "They help me block out distractions, and focus on what I'm doing."

"Oh, I can go, if-"

"No, no, you're good. You can stay. I just need to focus on this one project. I need to get into his head," said Phoebe.

"Who's head?"

"The artist," she answered. Stefan still seemed lost, so she elaborated. "You can tell a lot from examining someone else's art. Just like with handwriting, it changes based on your mood."

"And you wanna get into the head of some thousand-year old record keeper?" Stefan asked.

Phoebe rolled her eyes, "I'll explain when I'm finished."

"Okay. I'll just sit here, and eat...and watch the grass grow," he joked.

Phoebe put on her headphones, and got to work. While she worked, Jules popped into the Grill. There, Damon and Rick work up a plan to test her with wolfsbane to see if she was a werewolf. At the Lockwood cellar, Tyler and Caroline work on setting up Tyler's chains and mixing wolfsbane with his water.

Elsewhere, Bonnie apologizes to Luka for channeling him without his permission. He forgives her, and she asks him for help despelling the moonstone. Luka tells her that each spell is specific, so there isn't a general despelling spell; but he'll help her find something.

Back in the park, Stefan is intrigued watching Phoebe work. He's seen several of her finished projects, and some of her in-progress ones; but he's never gotten to watch her work on something like this – something that requires so much focus.

He found it funny how she could focus so intently one moment, but then lip sync to her music so intently the next. When she looked for a new color pencil, she muttered to herself; and when she had to reuse a color, she'd hold it in her mouth or hair. Stefan found it all very entertaining.

After a while, Phoebe stopped working. She hadn't finished, but it was still time to stop.

"You're not gonna finish it?" Stefan asked her.

"I will, eventually, but I don't have time right now," said Phoebe. "If I stop now, I have time to at least tell you why I'm so intrigued with this thing, before I have to go."

Stefan perked up, and gave her his undivided attention.

"Okay, so we all know that the Sun and the Moon Curse is supposedly 1,000 years old," Phoebe began, gathering her things.

"Supposedly?" Stefan questioned.

Phoebe nodded, "That's my first point. I sent the tapestry away to be carbon-dated...it's only 500 years old."

"Okay, so the Aztecs waited 500 years to document the curse. What's so weird about that?" Stefan asked.

"But why? Why wait 500 years to document something that important?" Phoebe challenged.

"Maybe they didn't think it was important enough at the time," he suggested.

"I doubt it. But even if that's true, there's no way they'd be able to document it this well after 500 years," she argued. "No one who was there would still be alive to tell the tale, after 500 years. Well, except a vampire, but I highly doubt and Aztec vampire would document this. And if you wanna argue that the story could've been passed down, I remind you that storied always distort the further they're passed down. Details get lost over time, so there's no way it would be this perfectly documented."

"And if it was important enough to be passed down verbally, then why not document it in the first place?" Stefan added, following her train of thought.

"Exactly!" said Phoebe. "And why would you include instructions for reversing the spell? If the whole point of the curse is to keep vampires and werewolves in check, then why give them the information they need to break the curse?"

Stefan tried to think of a possible reason, but couldn't.

"Katherine said the doppelganger was created as a way to undo the curse, but that witch I saw when I died in the fire – wow, that's weird to say – she said doppelgangers were Nature's way of maintaining balance," Phoebe went on. "Shamans are basically witches, right? And witches are servants of Nature. Now, vampires are abominations of Nature, so why create reoccurring doppelgangers for them to just break the curse, somewhere down the road?"

Stefan shrugged, "I...I have no idea. What, uh...what do you think?"

"Between you and me? I think the Sun and the Moon Curse is fake. It doesn't exist," Phoebe answered.

"But that makes no sense. If there was no curse, there wouldn't be a bunch of vampires trying to-"

"I didn't say there was no curse at all. There definitely is some kind of curse in play that Klaus wants undone. Something that requires a doppelganger, moonstone, vampire, werewolf, and witch to break. I just don't know what it is," said Phoebe.

Stefan considered her words, while he helped her load everything back into the car. When they'd finished, Phoebe made another request, "Would you mind if we kept this between us? It's just, if I'm right, the less people that know about it, the better. I mean, if we ever run into Elijah again – which we probably will – it might be better if didn't know we knew. It could give us an edge."

Stefan nodded, "I understand. It'll be our...lollipop."

Phoebe looked at him funny, "Our lollipop?"

"Yeah. Your choice of music is a secret, just like this," he told her. Phoebe let out a chuckle. "Look, if I've learned anything today it's that you need someone to talk to. You keep way too many things to yourself. You used to have Matt to talk to, but with all this supernatural making its way into your life, you can't really talk to him anymore. I just want you to know you can confide in me. I promise, there will be no judgments; and anything you want to keep secret, stays between us."

"So you wanna call our secrets 'lollipops'?" Phoebe asked.

Stefan laughed, "No. I just thought it could be a cool code name we can use. You know, like if I have something I need to talk to you about in private, I can send you a simple text that says 'lollipop'. It's simpler to send that, and have you reply with a time and place to meet; than to go through the steps of asking you what you're doing, do you have a time to talk, etc."

Phoebe still laughed, "It makes sense. Still funny, but it makes sense."

"So, is that a yes?"

"Yes, Stefan. Lollipop can be our new code word for needing friend time," said Phoebe.

While Phoebe headed home, Damon and Rick put their plan into motion. The plan was for Rick to pretend to be a drunk barfly and hit on Jules. Damon was to be the gentleman to rescue her. Afterwhich, he bought her a drink – spiked with wolfsbane – and stay with her, until she drank it. Unfortunately, no matter what he tried, he couldn't get her to drink it.

When Phoebe got home, Jeremy helped her bring her new art supplies inside, and up to her room.

"So why do you need to make your own canvas? They didn't have any premade ones?" Jeremy asked her, plopping the roll of canvas material onto the floor.

"I don't _need_ to, I just _want_ to," said Phoebe, walking over to her closet. She glanced over at Elena's closed bedroom door. As she kicked her shoes off and into the closet, she asked, "Decided to start pouting in her room, I see?"

"Yeah, she did that sometime after Damon left," said Jeremy.

Phoebe closed her closet, "So you guys decide what you want me to cook for dinner?"

"Yep. I left all the ingredients out on the island for you," he replied, walking back over to his room.

Phoebe grabbed her iPod and left her room. Phoebe popped her headphones into her ears, on the way down, and hit play. She tucked the device into her pocket, and washed her hands – she had pastel all over them. When she was finished, she turned back to look at the island. Once she knew what she was cooking, she began.

Phoebe took out a large pot, filled it with hot water, a little salt, and put it on the stove to boil. Next, she took the raw chicken tenders and cut them into bite-sized pieces. While the chicken cooked on the stove, she cut up the slices of pepperoni. By the time the chicken wasn't raw anymore, the water was boiling. She added the fettuccini noodles to the water; then added the pepperoni and bacon bits to the pan with the chicken, and sautéed and seasoned it.

When that was all done, and the noodles were strained, Phoebe mixed the sauce: eggs and heavy whipping cream. Now came the fun part. She tossed the meat into the pot with the noodles, and poured the sauce in. She mixed it well, then added more spices, black olives, and half a bottle of parmesan cheese. Once that was all mixed together, she left it to simmer on the stove.

"Smells great in here," said John, carrying a box over to the table.

"Should you be carrying something that heavy?" Phoebe asked.

"It's fine. I'm almost completely healed," said John. "I just figured, since you were cooking, I could help bring these Historical Society boxes in here for you."

"Thanks, dad," said Phoebe, with a smile.

"Smells awesome. Is it done, yet?" Jeremy asked, entering the kitchen.

"Yes, it is," Phoebe sighed. "Bring a plate up to Elena, would you?"

"We're not eating in here?" he asked.

"She's got her meeting with that writer, remember?" said John.

"Oh, right. The one doing the world's most boring book about small towns in Virginia," said Jeremy. "In that case, I'll fix myself two plates, and one for Elena."

Phoebe and John smirked, and went back to what they were doing. Phoebe went back to setting the table for herself and the mystery writer, John brought a few more boxes in from the closet under the stairs, and Jeremy fixed himself and Elena each a plate. By the time Jeremy returned upstairs, and John returned to his room with his plate; Jenna returned home.

When Jenna entered the house, she invited the writer in with her, then called out "Phoebe? Your guest is here!"

Phoebe walked out of the kitchen, forcing a smile. When she saw who it was, she stopped dead in her tracks. The mystery writer was Elijah. As she stared, her forced smile disappeared, and an involuntary pleasant one took its place. Elijah returned her smile.

Jenna looked back and forth between the two. She mistook their expressions as one of attraction for one another, and quickly excused herself. She went into the kitchen to fix herself a plate, before heading upstairs.

"I was told you'd be cooking me dinner, so I brought some wine to go with the meal," said Elijah, breaking the silence.

Phoebe broke eye contact, and noticed the two bottles of wine he was carrying. One was red, the other was white.

"No one told me exactly what you'd be cooking, so I wasn't sure which to bring," he added.

Phoebe's smile grew, "So you brought both?"

"Yeas," he replied, simply. "It would have been rude to show up empty handed."

That's when Jenna passed by them to go upstairs. Thankfully, Elijah realized that they'd yet to exchange introductions, and quickly remedied that. He shifted the wine in his hands, and extended his free one to Phoebe, "I'm Elijah."

Phoebe took longer than she'd care to admit to catch on. She'd been too preoccupied noticing how nice he looked compared to her. Elijah was wearing dark slacks, with a dark button-up shirt, and a dark sports coat. He was much more casual than he normally was, but still somehow looked nice. Phoebe was barefoot, in ripped jeans, wearing a Firefly t-shirt, with bits of pastel smeared all over her arms.

Phoebe reached out and took his hand, "Ph-Phoebe."

"Pleasure," said Elijah, smiling.

Phoebe cleared her throat, "Uh, the white wine will go best with dinner, but I'm not allowed to-"

"You can have a glass!" Jenna called down the stairs. "Make it two!"

Phoebe looked embarrassed, as she glanced at John's door. She was waiting for him to say...well, anything, but he didn't. He was purposely trying to give her some kind of privacy to work without her daddy hovering.

Elijah gestured for her to lead the way into the kitchen, so she did. He opened the wine, while she got the glasses out, and fixed their plates. Elijah waited by the table for her, insisting on pulling out her chair for her.

"I feel like I'm on a date," she commented.

Elijah gave a light laugh, and took a seat to her right. He looked at the food in front of him, hesitant to eat it.

"It won't bite," Phoebe told him.

Elijah smiled, "What is it?"

"It's food," she said.

Elijah gave her a look, "What's in it?"

"Take a bite, and I'll tell you."

Elijah looked around his plate, "I have no knife."

"What are you, a fancy first-class nobleman?" Phoebe teased. "Twirl the pasta around your fork, and put it in your mouth."

"Twirl?"

Phoebe did her best no to laugh, as she demonstrated. Elijah tried, but never seemed satisfied.

"What are you doing?" Phoebe asked.

"It's impossible to get it where the pasta isn't falling all over the place," he answered. "This is why I need to cut the pasta, it's too long."

Phoebe bit her lips together, "You're never going to get a perfect forkful."

"Then you wish for me to have sauce all over my face?"

"That's what napkins are for, Elijah," Phoebe laughed. "Just try it once. If you can't handle it, I'll get you a knife."

Elijah stared at her.

"I swear never to tell a soul," she promised.

Elijah looked around, as though making sure they were alone, before trying it her way. Phoebe covered her mouth with her hand, trying not to laugh – every time she snickered, he shot her a look. Slowly, but surely, Elijah took the bite. When Phoebe saw him with noodles hanging out of his mouth, she lost it. She had to laugh, and there was no hiding it.

Elijah did _not_ look amused. He sat there leaning over his plate, trying to figure out what to do with the remaining noodles hanging out of his mouth.

"Just-Just bite them off, and let them fall back onto the plate," Phoebe laughed. Elijah did as she said, then reached for his napkin. While he cleaned his face up, Phoebe told him, "We'll have to work on sucking the hanging ones up, sometime."

"Never again," was all Elijah said on the matter. He seemed rather annoyed with the fact that he had sauce all over his chin. And for the life of him, he couldn't understand why he had done it. To impress her? Surely not. She was nothing to him. At least, nothing special.

Phoebe got up to get him a knife, and brought it back to the table. When she returned, she saw that he had missed a spot on his chin. She took her napkin, and wiped it off for him.

"Thank you," he said. "Well, that horrendous display aside, your meal is quite delicious, Miss Gilbert."

Phoebe smiled, "Thank you."

For the rest of the meal, the two discussed what Elijah would need for his "book", since there were others in the house that could overhear them talking at any time. Meanwhile, at the old Lockwood property, Tyler chains himself up, and drinks the wolfsbane water. Though it makes him violently ill, he still has to drink it, or he'll be able to break free.

Back at the Grill, Damon still tries getting Jules to drink her wolfsbane-spiked cocktail, without any luck. Though it is clear that Jules is growing annoyed with Damon's presence.

Over at the Gilbert house, Phoebe and Elijah finish their dinner and wine. The two, oddly, had a nice time. Phoebe walks him to the door, where he thanks her for the delicious meal. After that, Phoebe heads upstairs – since she cooked, it's up to the others to clean up. When she enters her room, Elijah is waiting for her, looking at the art she had laying around.

"Forgive the intrusion, I just thought it was time we had a chat," said Elijah, examining her partial recreation of the tapestry.

Phoebe closed her door, and joked, "And here I thought we were moving onto the next phase of our date."

Elijah smirked, and put down her sketchpad.

"May I ask you a question?" she asked.

"You may," he replied.

"Why did you kill those vampires, back in Richmond?" she asked.

"I think that should be obvious," he said, sitting on her window seat. "I didn't want you to be taken."

"I guessed that much. The question is why?" she pressed. As Elijah explained, Phoebe grabbed a plain sketchpad and pencil, and began sketching him. Something about the way he was sitting compelled her to want to draw him.

"Klaus is the most feared and hated of the originals, but those that fear him are desperate for his approval," he began. He noticed her trying to draw him, and did his best to remain still. "If word gets out that the doppelganger exists, there'll be a line of vampires eager to take you and/or your sister to him, and I can't have that."

"Why not?" Phoebe asked, trying to quickly get his outline down. "I mean, isn't that what you're trying to do?"

"Let's just say that my goal is not to break the curse," said Elijah.

"So what _is_ your goal?" she inquired.

"Klaus' obsessions have made him paranoid. He's a recluse. He trusts only those in his immediate circle," Elijah replied.

"Are you in his immediate circle?" Phoebe asked.

"Not anymore."

Phoebe stopped sketching, and looked at him, "You don't know where he is, do you? That's why you want my sister. To draw him out."

Elijah's only response was to look away from her, shamefully. Then he tried lightening the mood with a joke, and a smile, "Well, to do that, I need your sister to stay put and stop trying to get herself killed."

Phoebe found herself smiling involuntarily, again. She looked away, and adjusted her glasses.

"I'm prepared to offer you a deal," said Elijah.

That got Phoebe's attention, "What kind of deal?"

"Before I answer that, I first need to know something," he said. "When we first met, you referred to me as Conan the Barbarian. A man from a different time, completely. You also looked at me as though you'd seen a ghost, yet I know for a fact that you've never seen my face before that moment. So how did you know? How did you know what I looked like a thousand years ago?"

Phoebe looked around nervously, before taking a deep breath and telling the truth. Others would have probably advised her to lie, but she was hoping that a thousand-year old vampire might be able to give her some answers as to how she managed to use divination, _without_ being a witch.

"Interesting," said Elijah, when she'd finished.

"What?"

"When Klaus came close to getting what he wanted 500 years ago, it frightened witches all around the world. Witches, as I'm sure you know, are servants of Nature. And for an abomination of Nature to come so close to breaking the curse...So they convened with their ancestors to find a more permanent solution. A way to stop him from ever breaking the curse," he replied.

"What was the solution?" Phoebe asked, intrigued.

"You," he answered.

"Come again?"

"One of the witch ancestors suggested they create something powerful enough to stop him, to destroy him. Something similar to a witch, but not bound by the same limitations. Something that could control the elements, without being drained by the amount of power required to manipulate them," he said.

"But I can't control the elements," Phoebe argued. "I just control emotions."

"To control the elements, one must first be able to control their own emotions," said Elijah. "You see, each element has specific emotions associated with it. By making you an empath, you were forced to learn control of your own emotions. I believe you've begun exhibiting signs of water manipulation – by using divination – , because you've mastered control of your own emotions."

"But why make me look like the doppelganger?" Phoebe questioned.

"Because only an anomaly – another abomination of nature – would be able to contain all of that power, without being destroyed by it," said Elijah. "That's why the witches rejected the idea. They didn't want to have another abomination wandering the Earth, with that kind of power."

"Then how am I here?"

"It would appear that someone broke the rules and created you, anyway," he replied.

"Okay, but wouldn't Nature step in and stop me from being able to manipulate the elements?"

"She can't. You don't draw your power from Nature, like witches do," said Elijah.

"Then wha...my emotions. I channel my power from them, not the Earth," Phoebe guessed.

Elijah nodded in agreement. Phoebe was going to ask him what the catch was, but then remembered what Esther said:

" _...Nature states that, should there be two of the same doppelganger born at the same time – in the form of twins, for example – then that would be a mistake. Nature would then try to correct the mistake by getting rid of one of the doppelgangers..."_

"So what's this deal you wanna make?" Phoebe asked.

"I want to kill Klaus. For that, I'll need your help," said Elijah. "I can help you further advance your powers, so you can help me take down the monster that threatens to destroy everything you love, should you cross him. All I ask is that your friends stay out of our way. If they agree to go about their lives, as thought everything were normal, then I promise you that no harm will come to them."

"What happens when I become the Jedi master you want me to be?" she asked.

Elijah smiled, "When the time is right, you and I shall draw Klaus out together, and put an end to his cruelty."

"Just like that?"

"Just like that," he confirmed. "I'm a man of my word, Phoebe. I make a deal, I keep a deal."

"It's not your word that I doubt," said Phoebe. "How do you plan on keeping everyone safe? You may be a thousand-year old original vampire, but you're still one man."

"I noticed you have a friend, Bonnie, is it? She seems to possess the gift of magic," he replied. "I have friends with similar gifts."

Phoebe smiled, "You mean the Martins."

Elijah gave her a look that confirmed her thought, and rose to his feet. He smirked a little bit, as he approached her, "So do we have a deal?"

"We have a deal," said Phoebe. She and Elijah shook hands on it. "Now, in the interest of keeping my friends out of harm's way, I have a friend stuck in the tomb under the old church ruins with Katherine Pierce. Would you please ask your witch friends to get her out of there? Anna, not Katherine."

Elijah bowed his head, without breaking eye contact.

Meanwhile, Luka and Bonnie get to work despelling the moonstone. They set up a bunch of candle on a rooftop, and channel the full moon. Luka puts on a good show to make Bonnie believe the stone is destroyed, but it really isn't.

Elsewhere, Tyler starts feeling the effects of the moon. He's so hot the chains are starting to burn him. He tells Caroline to leave him, but she refuses. Even when his bones begin breaking, she stays by his side. Holding him through the pain.

Back at the Grill, Jules has enough of Damon, and snaps. She tells him she can smell both him and the wolfsbane in her drink. Damon doesn't seem afraid of her, and tries telling her to leave town, but Jules reminds him that it's a full moon tonight, and leaves the bar. Damon storms out, looking for her, but he can't find her. Rick pleads with him to just let it go, because it's the full moon. Damon doesn't seem to care at first, but when Rick remarks how Phoebe would never forgive him for getting himself killed by a werewolf, he agrees to go home.

Back at the Lockwood cellar, Tyler begins losing control. The moon is reaching its apex, which means it's time for the wolf to come out. Caroline, very reluctantly, has to leave his side to lock him in. When he starts breaking through the doors, Caroline is forced to run away entirely.

Meanwhile, Damon returns home, locking the front door. He finds Rose in the library, and tells her she has to leave. He tells her that her presence upsets Phoebe, and he doesn't like that, so she has to go. Before Rose can argue, the sound of breaking glass came from the living room. The two went to investigate. Stefan came down the stairs and joined them.

When they reached the living room, Damon grabbed a pair of swords off the wall, and tossed one to Stefan. As they looked around, Jules – in her wolf form – aimed at Damon. Rose pushed him out of the way just in time, getting bitten herself. Stefan stabbed Jules with his sword, and she took off. Damon checked Rose's bite, but it began to heal, confusing all three vampires.

Elsewhere, Luka returns home with the moonstone. He isn't proud of having to deceive Bonnie, but it had to be done. He wants to go to bed and forget about it, but his father tells him there's one more thing Elijah needs them to do, before they lose the full moon.

While the two work on getting the tomb open, Katherine and Anna have a talk inside.

"Are we seriously not going to talk at all?" Katherine whined.

"Nope," Anna replied.

Katherine rolled her eyes, "Look, I'm sorry I got your mom stuck in this tomb for 145 years, but it's called self-preservation. I've been looking out for myself for 500 years."

"Yeah? Look where that's gotten you," said Anna.

"Yes, I've done terrible things. I know that," she admitted. "But I do love Stefan...even if he doesn't believe it."

"You want him to believe you? Then show him. Do something. Prove to him that there is something inside of you that's actually worth trusting," said Anna.

"And then what? Hmm?" Katherine questioned. "He's still going to hate me."

"Maybe he'll see there's hope for you after all," Anna mused.

Katherine gave her a look, "You're playing me."

"No, Katherine. If I were playing you, I'd make you believe that there was a chance he could love you one day," said Anna. "But that's never gonna happen. The best you can hope for is to have him not hate you as much as he does right now. Because Stefan is like Phoebe – as long as there's a slight glimmer of decency in you, they'll give you a chance."

Katherine thought for a moment, then replied, "You wanna find Klaus? I'd start with Isobel – Phoebe and Elena's mother. She was a research expert. She found me."

"Well, that's a start," said Anna.

That's when their conversation was interrupted by banging in the distance. They followed the sound to the entrance of the tomb, where Elijah was waiting for them.

"Elijah," said Katherine, nervously.

"Good evening, Katerina," Elijah greeted. "Thank you for having the good sense to be frightened. Your release has been requested, Miss Zhu."

"What? By who?" Anna asked.

"The lovely Phoebe drives a hard bargain. However, we've reached a peaceful agreement. She and I," said Elijah. He thought back to their dinner, and wanted to smile, but stopped himself. He gestured for Anna to leave, "Please."

"But I can't," she argued.

"Yes, you can. I've had the spell lifted," said Elijah.

Anna stepped out, very cautiously. As soon as Katherine saw that it was open, she tried to run. However, Elijah stopped her, and compelled her not to leave until he said so.

"You're free to go, Miss Zhu. Phoebe will explain the arrangement to you," said Elijah. "As long as she keeps her end of the deal, I'll keep mine."

Elijah walked away, shortly followed by Anna. Katherine begged Anna not to leave her there, but she ignored her pleas. If their roles were reverses, Katherine wouldn't hesitate to leave her behind.

Meanwhile, Caroline returns to the cellar to check on Tyler. She's happy to find that he didn't get out, but sad to see him so traumatized by the experience.

Elsewhere, Damon and Rose talk over a glass of blood. They come to the agreement that she can stay, as long as nothing happens between them again; because Damon loves Phoebe, and he's now realized he was wrong to push her away like he did. He then checks her bite, again, just to check. The bite's reappeared, and looks worse than it did earlier.

Back at the Gilbert house, Anna reunites with Jeremy, while Stefan and Elena make up and get back together. Phoebe, on the other hand, sits in the bath alone, thinking about what Elijah told her. She wished she could talk to Stefan about it all, but he was busy enjoying being with Elena again, and she didn't want to interrupt that.

Phoebe closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and sank down under the water. As she sat there, she wished she had bubbles to put in the bath. Even though the doors were locked, she still felt exposed without bubbles to cover her.

Phoebe came back up for air, and cleared her face. She would just have to do with plain, hot water. She closed her eyes and relaxed. It was time to clear her mind of all problems, and let the bath do its job and relax her.

After a while, she began falling asleep, which meant it was time to get out of the tub. As she opened her eyes to get out, she found herself surrounded by bubbles. Phoebe's eyes widened and her lips spread into a smile. This was going to be awesome...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I'm getting a lot of different coupling requests for Phoebe: Stoebe, Phemon, Kloebe, Phelijah. All I can say is that each one of these men will hold a special place in Phoebe's heart, at one time or another. And starting at the beginning of season 3 – lasting through the season – Phoebe will FINALLY have a boyfriend. But who will it be?
> 
> As promised, there were some answers revealed in this chapter, but some new questions to arise. What did Phoebe have surgically removed? What is the catch for Phoebe having all this power? If her power doesn't come from Nature, does that mean she could hypothetically keep her powers if she became a vampire? Will Phoebe be able to defeat Klaus? Or will his secret recon visit in Rick's body spoil the surprise of their secret weapon? Will Phoebe even want to destroy Klaus? Or will he touch her softer side? Will Damon and Rick succeed in daggering Elijah at the dinner party? Or will Phoebe stop them? Now that Phoebe finds herself unable to talk to Matt about the things in her life, will the two drift apart? Or will she choose to tell her friend about the secret world she's become a part of? What will Phoebe think of Damon dating Andie? What will happen when the other wolves roll into town? Once they learn of the curse, will they try to kidnap Elena? Or Phoebe? Or both?
> 
> What do you think so far? What do you think will happen in the future? What do you hope to see in the future?


	34. The Descent

Chapter 34: The Descent

Jules wakes up in the woods, the morning after the full moon, surrounded by body parts. She'd apparently torn apart a group of campers last night. As she works on disposing of the bodies, a deputy pulls up. Jules pretends to be in shock at discovering her "friends" in this state, and the deputy takes pity on her. When he tries to return to his vehicle and call for help, Jules kills him, too.

Meanwhile at the Gilbert House, Phoebe works on a mass email to send to everyone in the scooby gang. It explains the deal she made with Elijah last night, as well as the discovery they made about her being the key to stopping Klaus. Phoebe decided on sending it all in an email, because she didn't feel like telling the story several times over, while being constantly interrupted with questions. This way, everyone got the whole story, and if they had questions or complaints, they could call her.

After hitting send on her mass email, Phoebe left for her run with Matt. This way, not even those she lived with could stop her to ask fifty questions. She had a busy day ahead of her, and didn't have time to sit around being interrogated by everyone, or scolded for trusting Elijah. What Phoebe didn't realize was that her day was going to be a lot more full and rich than she originally thought it would...

While Phoebe was out on her run, Elena headed to the Salvatore Boarding House to see Stefan, before going to school. The two discussed Phoebe's deal with Elijah – Elena being for it, but Stefan being against it. He didn't like not doing anything to protect his girlfriend and his new best friend. Elena, on the other hand, was only focused on the present. Presently, Elijah was willing to keep them all safe, in exchange for Phoebe's help in killing Klaus. It was a win/win.

As she fixed him a glass of water with vervain in it, Stefan told her that Anna mentioned something about Katherine suggesting they reach out to Isobel for information on Klaus. Stefan wants to call her and ask her what she knows, because any information on Klaus would be helpful. Any information at all on an original in general would be welcome. Elena doesn't want him to, but Stefan isn't going to relent on this matter. So he drinks his vervain water, and heads out to ask John for help in contacting Isobel.

Meanwhile, downstairs, Damon gets Rose some more blood, hoping it'll help her fight off the infection of werewolf venom in her blood. He also tries making her feel better by suggesting that the legend could be wrong, because legends are often wrong. But he realizes just how wrong he is, when he checks her wound. It's gotten much worse.

Elena is on her way out, when she catches a glimpse of Rose's bite. She and Damon both lie to her, claiming that it doesn't look that bad. Damon asks Elena where Stefan is, and she tells him that he left to contact Isobel. She tries asking him to talk Stefan out of it, but Damon actually agrees with his brother on this matter. Damon then asks her to babysit Rose for a little bit, while he goes out. Elena would prefer not to, but agrees anyway.

Back at the Gilbert House, Phoebe returns from her run with Matt. As they approached the porch, Matt tried to take a drink from his water bottle, but it was empty. Phoebe handed him her bottle, which was full, and laughed.

"You know, for a quarterback, you sure need a lot of water breaks," she teased.

Matt shot her a look, "Well, we can't all be camels, like you. I mean, seriously, what's with that?"

"What's with what?" she asked, confused.

"Your strange ability to retain water," he told her. "The more we run, the less you need to drink. But you still sweat. It's like you don't get dehydrated at all."

Phoebe furrowed her eyebrows, as she thought about that. She'd never noticed before, but he was right. She still sweated like a normal person, still smelled gross; but she didn't feel dehydrated. Even now, just thinking about it, she didn't feel the need for water. It was weird. She'd have to remember to ask Elijah about that. It had to be something supernatural.

Matt interrupted her thoughts, "I'll catch you later, Pheebes."

Phoebe smiled and waved, as he jogged away, then headed inside for a much needed shower. Since she was the only home, she blared music in the bathroom, while she showered. She continued to blare it, while she got dressed.

She put on a pair of black tights, with denim shorts; and a parchment-colored t-shirt that had a skull and crossed swords on. The skull was wearing glasses, and underneath it said pirate with the math symbol for pie. She then fixed her hair up into pigtails. Not the ones that go on the side of the head, like Pippy Longstocking, the big girl kind that are positioned on the back of the head. She also stopped short on the last pull through of the ponytails, leaving them not tails but more of a bun.

Phoebe then put her music in her ears – with her headphones – and put on her converse. As she finished that, and grabbed her things for school, 'I Fought the Law, And the Law Won' by The Clash began to play on her iPod. She began with a simple head bop, but it quickly progressed to full on rocking out, as she descended the stairs. After all, what did she have to restrain herself for? No one was home.

As Phoebe rounded the base of the stairs, she came face to face with Elijah, "Oh, my Jesus!"

Elijah reached out to keep her from colliding with him.

Phoebe dropped her school bag, and yanked the headphones out of her ears, "What the frak are you doing in here?"

"Forgive me, I did not mean to startle you," said Elijah.

"Then why didn't you knock on the door, like a normal person?" Phoebe asked, holding her hand over her heart.

"I did, but you apparently didn't hear me," he said, gesturing to her headphones.

Phoebe took a deep breath, and let it out slowly, "How can I help you, Elijah?"

"I thought we might begin our work today," he replied. Phoebe lifted an eyebrow. "On training you to use your powers more actively."

"No, I know what you meant, I just thought you might, I don't know, wait for the weekend," said Phoebe.

"I'm sorry, I thought saving the lives of your sister and everyone else you love might be more important, than sitting in a room for an hour, learning things you already know," Elijah remarked.

Phoebe gave him a look, "It is more important, and a great deal more interesting, but it still would have been nice for you to...never mind. Let us get to work, oh wise one."

Elijah gave her a look that said he didn't appreciate her sarcasm, and headed for the door. He grabbed her coat, and held the door open.

"Where are we going?" Phoebe asked.

"Away from distraction," he replied, simply. He said it in a way that told Phoebe to think twice about arguing. There was also something about his authoritative demeanor that Phoebe found attractive. It was the typical vampire superiority complex thing, it was something...different.

Phoebe took her coat from him, and walked out of the house, Elijah close behind her.

Meanwhile at the school, everyone sets up for some kind of fair. Caroline and Tyler talk about how well he did last night – with not getting out and hurting anyone – and how he feels today, after the fact. Tyler tells her he's a little sore, but otherwise okay. He also thanks her for being there for him through it all.

Caroline smiles, happily, then tells him that next month they need to better fortify the doors, because he almost got her. Tyler doesn't understand why that's a problem, so she explains that a bite from a werewolf can kill a vampire – something Phoebe told her about – so she just needs to make sure he can't get to her from now on.

Their conversation is brought to an end, when Matt requests to talk to Caroline, alone. Caroline assures him that there's nothing going on between her and Tyler, that they're just friends. Matt believes her, because she's never lied to him. She's a lot of things, but not a liar. Caroline is happy to hear that he believes her, but taken aback by what he does next. Matt tries telling her how he feels, but, like Phoebe, isn't very good with words; so he kisses her. Caroline tells him he can't do that, and walks away, leaving Matt more confused than ever.

Meanwhile at the Grill, Jules pops in for something to eat, and runs into Liz Forbes. She asks Liz if there's been any news in Mason's case, but Liz, unfortunately, has nothing new to tell her. Later, as she's eating, Damon enters the Grill and sits with Jules. He asks her if there's a cure for the werewolf bite, clearly desperate for an answer. Jules takes enjoyment in his plight, and tells him the only cure for a werewolf bite is a stake through the heart.

Back at the Boarding House, Rose grows tired, so Elena puts her to bed. As she begins to drift off, Elena leaves her alone, but Rose sits up, going on about preparing the horses. She's becoming disoriented. Elena tries to calm her, and gives her more blood. Unfortunately, it doesn't help. Rose throws up the blood all over Damon's bed, then becomes even more disoriented. She thinks Elena is Katherine, and attacks her. Elena manages to convince her that she isn't Katherine, and puts Rose back to bed.

Meanwhile, Elijah and Phoebe arrive at their training location: somewhere deep in the woods, where there are no distractions, and where no one will happen upon them.

"Very secluded. If you were human, I'd be wondering if you were luring me out here to kill me," Phoebe joked.

Elijah smirked, "As I said, we needed to get away from any distractions. Not only that, but as an elemental, I believe it would be better for you to practice manipulating nature, while actually out among nature."

"You make two very valid points there," she admitted. "So...where do we begin?"

"First, I want you to tell me all the different ways you've used the water element. I need to know what you can do," he said.

"Well, aside from what I told you last night, there's only a couple of other things," said Phoebe. "Uh, this morning, Matt pointed out that I no longer need to drink my water when we're running. I mean I still sweat like crazy, but I never get thirsty."

"Interesting. You must absorb the moisture directly from the air," said Elijah.

"But how? I'm not even trying to."

"It's probably a subconscious thing, or involuntary, like breathing," he told her. "What was the other thing?"

Phoebe almost didn't want to tell him about the other thing. Surely he'd laugh at her, or give her a disapproving look. Either way, it was something he needed to know, so she avoided looking at him, and told him, "...I made bubbles..."

Elijah looked at her as though he wanted to laugh, but was fighting it back, "Come again?"

Phoebe cleared her throat, "I was laying in the bath last night, thinking about how much I wished I had bubbles, and then all of a sudden, there were bubbles."

Elijah continued to fight a snicker, "Well, I suppose that shows an ability to manipulate the form of a liquid. Speaking of which, is it only water that you can manipulate, or all liquids?"

"Honestly, I have no idea. I've never tried to manipulate any other liquids," said Phoebe.

Elijah pulled out a pocket knife, and slit his palm open.

"What are you-" Phoebe began.

"If you can manipulate blood, that could prove very useful in defeated Klaus," said Elijah, putting his knife away. He held his hands together, letting them fill with his blood, before his hand healed.

Once his hand did heal, He stood there, looking at her, with his hands held out to her. Phoebe looked at his hands, and tried to manipulate the blood, but...what did he want her to do with it?

Elijah seemed to read her mind, because the next thing he said was, "I don't care if you make bubbles out of it, just do something."

Phoebe began to grow flustered. She didn't know what to try making the blood do. And having him stand there, staring at her, wasn't helping.

"You're getting flustered," Elijah noted. "Manipulating the water element requires more passive emotions, such as tranquility and serenity."

"I know, but that's kind of hard to do, when you're being pressured to do something," said Phoebe. "I can't focus with you staring at me."

"I hate to break it to you, Miss Gilbert, but you _will_ be under pressure, when Klaus arrives; and I seriously doubt he will be kind enough to give you the time and space you will need to focus," said Elijah.

Phoebe gave him a huff, then closed her eyes. Elijah started to ask her what she was doing, but she held up a finger to silence him. She focused on her breathing, and began to hum to herself. It was a relaxing song. Very mellow, and calming.

After humming the first verse and chorus, she opened her eyes. She stared at the blood in his hands, and continued to focus on the song in her mind, the blood, and her breathing. Anything, except Elijah.

" _Veni, veni, Emmanuel."_

The blood in Elijah's hand began to ripple.

" _Captivum solve Israel."_

The blood pulled away from his hands at the sides, and came together in the center.

" _Qui gemit in exilio."_

Drops began to lift into the air in various different sizes.

" _Privatus Dei Filio."_

The drops of blood moved around the air between them, like sand in a lava lamp.

" _Gaude, gaude, Emmanuel."_

The drops separated into smaller drops, like specks of crimson dust.

" _Nascetur pro te, Israel."_

The drops spread further apart, and began rotating.

" _Gaude, gaude, Emmanuel."_

The drops came back together, forming bigger, and bigger drops.

" _Nascetur pro te, Israel."_

The drops formed together into its original puddle in Elijah's hands.

"Interesting," said Elijah.

"You know, the more you say that, the less impact it has. But go on," said Phoebe.

"Does music always have a calming effect on you?" he asked, ignoring her comment.

"Depends on the song," she replied. "Some songs relax me, some make me energized, some make me sad...It all depends on the song. Why?"

Elijah tossed the blood out of his hands, began cleaning them off with a handkerchief, "Each element is tied to specific emotions. As I told you, water is tied to more passive emotions, such as tranquility and serenity. Fire requires stronger emotions, such as rage, anger, or passion. Air: freedom, harmony, boldness. And Earth: patience, strength, stability, and goodness. If you could find one song to associate with each element, we can use that to help you trigger those emotions easier."

"Sounds good, in theory, but...I don't have to think of all four songs right now, do i?"

"No. We're only going to be focusing on the water element, for now," he said. "We need to get you more actively using that element, before we figure out what your next element will be."

"What do you mean, figure out?" Phoebe asked.

"There is an order in which you will develop your ability to manipulate each element. You developed the ability to manipulate water, first. Next will either be fire, or air. Earth will most certainly be last," Elijah explained. Phoebe still looked a little lost, so he explained further. "Earth is the most difficult to manipulate, because it is so solid. It will not bow to the wind, be swallowed by water, or be burned away."

"Actually..." Phoebe began.

"The fire element does not necessarily mean flames. It simply means anything hot, like the sun," he told her.

"So like a desert. It's so hot that not many things can thrive there, but there are still some things that can," Phoebe guessed.

Elijah made a gesture that said she was correct, and moved on, "Air puts out fire, and can move water. And if it's cold enough, cause it to change density."

"Freeze it," Phoebe translated.

"Fire can also change water into another form that cannot harm it. It can also resist being doused by air, if strong enough," he said.

"So what you're saying is, fire and air are both stronger than water, but about equal to one another?" Phoebe asked.

"Yes."

"Well, if you think about it, water can be stronger than fire and air. It can douse a flame, and it isn't easily moved by air. So why not develop fire or air first?" Phoebe wondered.

"Think about who you are. Of the three elements, which are you most like?"

Phoebe thought for a moment, then admitted, "Water."

Elijah nodded, "Which is why you developed it first, and why the next element will either be fire, or air."

"But how are we gonna know which one it is?"Phoebe asked.

"Let me worry about that. For now, all I want you to do is focus on actively manipulating liquids," said Elijah. "Practice divination, make them move around the air, practice absorbing them...make bubbles out of them. Today, we're only going to work on your water manipulation."

Meanwhile at the Gilbert house, Stefan knocks on the door. John, who's just returned, answers the door.

"Stefan," he said surprised. "Elena's not here-"

"I'm, uh, actually here to see you," said Stefan. John was surprised. "May I come in?"

John stepped aside, and let the vampire enter. As he closed the door behind him, he asked, "What can I do for you?"

"I was wondering if you had a way to get in touch with Isobel," said Stefan.

"What do you want her for?"

"Katherine suggested we try asking her for information on Klaus," said Stefan.

John laughed, "It's Katherine, Stefan. She was probably just trying to get you-"

"To think there was hope for her after all, and then try to help her get out of the tomb? Yeah, I, uh, already know that," he said. "But Isobel is an expert researcher. If anyone can find more information on Klaus and the originals, it's her...Or Phoebe, but she's got enough to worry about, right now."

John considered his words, and seemed to agree, "You realize we can't trust her. Isobel, I mean. Even when it comes to Phoebe and Elena."

"I know," said Stefan. "But we need more information, and she's our second best way of getting it."

"I'll see what I can do," said John.

Back at the Boarding House, Elena leaves Rose to get some clean sheets for Damon's bed. When she comes back, Rose is gone. She goes downstairs to look for her, and finds her in the basement, binging on blood bags. When she sees Elena, she mistakes her for Katherine, again, and chases her upstairs. Elena tries running out the front door, but Rose stops her. Elena does the only thing she can do to hurt Rose: she digs her fingers into her bite wound.

With Rose temporarily down, Elena runs upstairs to Stefan's room, and barricades herself in. She breaks an end table, taking a leg for a stake, and stands in the sunlight. Rose tries to apologize to her through the door, claiming to know that she isn't Katherine, but Elena ignores her. Even when Rose becomes sick again, and begs Elena to help her, Elena remains safe in Stefan's room.

Later that evening, as the sun was going down, Elijah called it a day on their training. Phoebe was exhausted. She'd never used her power that much in one day before.

"You did well today," said Elijah, leading her out of the woods.

"Thanks," said Phoebe. She took out her phone to see if she had any responses to her email...she had several dozen notifications. Emails, texts, voicemails, etc. Some were about her deal with Elijah, a couple were from Caroline about Tyler's first full moon, and some were about Rose being bitten by a werewolf last night. That one caught her attention more than anything else. Stefan sent it to her to ask her to see if Elijah knew anything about a cure. "Elijah?"

"Yes?"

"Do you know of a cure for werewolf bites?" Phoebe asked him.

Elijah stopped, and looked at her. He said nothing verbally, but his expression demanded an explanation for her inquiry.

"Rose was apparently bitten by a werewolf last night...she isn't doing well," said Phoebe.

"Unfortunately, I know of no such cure," he replied, sincerely.

Phoebe read through more of her texts and found one from Damon asking her to speak with Elijah about a cure. She was about to move on to the next message, when she noticed a mention of Elena in there. He had told her that Elena was at the Boarding House taking care of Rose for the day, while he searched for a cure.

Phoebe's eyes widened, as she reread the message, and her heart skipped a beat.

Elijah heard this, and asked her about it, "Your heart's just skipped a beat. What's happened?"

"Damon said he left Elena to babysit Rose for the day," said Phoebe. She looked up at him, "Tell me that's nothing I should worry about."

Elijah said nothing in response. He simply scooped Phoebe up in his arms, and took off flitting towards the Boarding House.

When they arrived, the sun was almost completely down, and they both feared they might be too late. What if Rose had already killed Elena? What if the sun was down enough for her to escape the house, and hurt someone else?

Elijah burst through the front door, and placed Phoebe down on her feet. He began looking around cautiously, while Phoebe called out to her sister.

"Elena!" she called. Elijah gestured for her to stop shouting, but Phoebe ignored him. "Elena!"

"I cannot keep you safe, if you insist on calling the delirious vampire to you," he snapped.

"Better than leave her to go after my sister. Besides, we'll find her a lot quicker that way," Phoebe argued. "You should be the one that's silent. If she hears your voice, she'll run away."

"Katarina!" Rose hissed. She glared down at Phoebe from the balcony above the living room.

"Oh, boy..." Phoebe gulped. Rose looked scary. Her vampire face was showing, and she looked on the verge of a rage frenzy.

Rose leapt off the balcony, straight for Phoebe, but she never reached her. Elijah, flew at Rose, intercepting her attack. She was angry, at first, that someone had stopped her from killing Katarina Petrova; but when she saw it was Elijah, she trembled with fear. Rose tried to run, but Elijah blocked her at every turn, until she finally gave up. Instead, she tried to _fight_ Elijah.

"Wow, she really is delirious," Phoebe commented, as Elijah tried to restrain Rose.

"A side effect of the bite," said Elijah.

"Is there any way we can compel her to stop fighting, or trying to run away?" Phoebe asked.

"I can try," said Elijah. "But I need her to calm down, first."

"Leave that to me," Phoebe mumbled. She carefully reached out and grabbed Rose's arm – somewhere she couldn't bite her – and began to focus. She focused on making Rose calm down, and relax – which wasn't easy, since Phoebe wasn't even very relaxed at the moment. She eventually succeeded, and backed away to let Elijah try compelling her.

He compelled Rose not to run away, and not to attack Phoebe or Elena again. He even compelled her to know that they were _not_ Katherine, and were therefore undeserving of whatever punishment she desired to give to Katherine.

Elijah and Phoebe were surprised to find that the compulsion worked – or at least for now. They released her and she didn't try to run, or fight. In fact she began crying and apologizing profusely to them both. But Phoebe only cared about one thing.

"Where's Elena?" she asked. "Did you hurt her?"

"No. No, she ran upstairs to Stefan's room. She's been there for hours," replied Rose.

"Can you get her back to bed? I'm gonna go tell Elena we got Rose calmed down," said Phoebe to Elijah.

Elijah nodded, and they both followed Phoebe upstairs. While the two stopped at Damon's bedroom, Phoebe continued on to Stefan's. When she arrived, she knocked on the door.

"Elena? Elena, it's me, Phoebe," said Phoebe.

Elena jumped at the knock, then became both glad and worried at hearing her sister's voice, "Phoebe? What are you doing here?"

Elena hopped up to unblock the door, as Phoebe answered, "Damon sent me a text, that I just now got, about you being left here alone with a sick vampire."

Elena opened the door, "It's not safe, Phoebe. She thought I was Katherine, and tried to attack me, twice-"

"It's okay," Phoebe interrupted. "Elijah's compelled her not to attack us anymore, or to run away."

Elena nodded, then seemed to realize what she said, "You brought Elijah?"

"He was with me when I got Damon's text," said Phoebe. "We were training."

"Oh. Does he know anything about a cure?"

Phoebe looked like she was going to say something optimistic, but then her face turned grim, and she walked away. Elena followed her to Damon's bedroom, where Rose was already tucked into bed and drifting off to sleep. They were going to leave her to get some rest, but she woke up.

"I'm sorry, Elena," she called out. "I don't like taking human lives, I never have."

"It's okay. You weren't yourself," said Elena.

"Yeah, you just confused her for Katherine and tried to kill her. It's not the first time that's happened," Phoebe joked.

Rose laughed, briefly, then became serious, "That's the worst part about death – the hunt. The need to kill. The thirst. The pleasure it brings you afterwards...it hurts."

"Then don't speak of it," Elijah told her.

"Damon's a lot like me. He wants to care, but the minute he does, he runs away from it...from you," Rose went on, addressing Phoebe. She began to cough, and squirm around. Phoebe moved closer to help her through it with her power. Once she was feeling better, Rose asked her, "Why are you so nice to me?"

Phoebe shrugged, "Because you've never done anything to me."

"I slept with Damon."

"You didn't know he was using you to help push me away," said Phoebe. "If you had...you never would've done it."

"How can you be so sure?" she questioned.

"Because I have a gift. I can see the parts of someone that most people don't see. The things people don't want others to see. I knew when I first met you that you weren't heartless. You and Trevor both. Just like I know Elijah isn't as horrible as you wanted me to believe," said Phoebe. "I guess, you could say, I just feel it in my gut."

Rose smiled for a moment, before her face twisted into an expression of pain. She began writhing around the bed, screaming. Elijah stepped closer to make sure Rose didn't try to hurt Phoebe, while Phoebe geld her and began siphoning away her pain.

Meanwhile at Caroline's, Caroline returns home to find Tyler waiting for her on her porch. He wants to know why she would risk her life to stay with him all night. Already in a mood, Caroline begins going on a tangent about how he seems to not want people to care about him, but she does care and he's just going to have to get over it. Tyler kisses her, stopping her midsentence. Caroline starts to kiss him back, but then she remembers Matt and becomes even more flustered.

Back at the Boarding House, one of the brothers returns home. Elena goes down to see who it is, and is pleasantly surprised to find it's Stefan. She tells him about Rose's worsening condition, and how Phoebe and Elijah are trying to help her through it, while Phoebe continues to siphon Rose's pain away.

"I wanna go home," Rose sobbed, coming down from the most recent surge of pain.

"Tell me about it," said Phoebe.

"St. Austell. 30 Kilometers South of London," said Rose, nostalgically. "With fields and trees and horses."

"Sounds beautiful," said Phoebe.

Rose closed her eyes, "When you live long enough, everything disappears..."

"So show me," said Phoebe.

Rose opened her eyes, "What?"

"Show me home."

Rose closed her eyes, again, and so did Phoebe. The next thing she knew, she was in a sunny field, full of horses. Rose was walking around, wearing a dress from 500 years ago, and her hair was much longer. Phoebe looked around in awe. This truly was a beautiful place.

"This was my favorite place to come as a girl," said Rose. She leaned her head back, and smiled. "The sun is so warm...I miss this."

"The sun?" Phoebe asked.

"Being human," Rose corrected. "I had friends. I had a family. I mattered."

"You still do," Phoebe told her.

"No. I don't. I spent 500 years running. 500 years just existing," Rose argued. "Don't let Damon make the same mistake. Don't let him run away from what makes him happy. Don't let him push you away."

"I'll try."

"Thank you," said Rose, with a smile. "For taking away the pain."

Phoebe smirked, "Apparently I'm rather good at that."

Rose looked around, then smiled excitedly, "I'll race you to the trees."

"You're a vampire, you'll win," said Phoebe. "You're faster than I am."

Rose ignored her, "On the count of three."

Phoebe laughed, "So now you're going to let me win?"

"One."

"What's the point, we're in your head, anyway. You'll cheat."

"Two."

Phoebe smiled and sighed.

"Three."

And just like that, Phoebe was no longer looking at Rose in the sun. She was now looking at Rose all desiccated, with a stake through her heart. Elijah had staked her, while they were talking.

Meanwhile at the Grill, Jules finally talks to Tyler alone. She tells him she knows he's a werewolf and that Caroline is a vampire. Tyler inadvertently reveals just how new he is to all of this, and Jules tells him she can help him, since Mason can't. Tyler asks her about Mason, to which she tells him the truth: he's dead. She tells Tyler that Caroline and the other vampires killed him. Tyler doesn't believe her, but she pushes enough to get him thinking.

Back at the Boarding House, Damon returns shortly after Rose's death. Phoebe tells him what happened, and gives him some space to grieve. After a while she decides to check on him.

"What are you still doing here?" Damon asked, staring into his fireplace.

Phoebe finished entering the room, and replied, "I wanted to make sure you were okay."

"I appreciate the gesture," he said, sipping his bourbon. "I'm just glad it's over."

"You know I don't believe that," said Phoebe.

Damon turned to face her, "Go home, Phoebe. Get some rest. It's a whole new day tomorrow."

"Damon, I'm your friend."

"I'm well aware of that."

"And a friend usually knows when their friend is hurting."

"What do you wanna hear?" Damon snapped. "That I cared about Rose? That I'm upset? Well, I didn't, and I'm not."

"There you go, pretending to turn it off, pretending not to feel," Phoebe pointed out. "Damon, you're so close. Don't give up, now."

"I feel, Phoebe, okay? And it sucks. What sucks even more is that it was supposed to be me. Jules was coming after me," Damon told her.

"And you feel guilty," said Phoebe, more to herself than to him.

"That would be human of me, wouldn't it, Phoebe? And I'm _not_ human," he spat. "Go home. There's been enough doom and gloom and personal growth for one night."

Phoebe extended a hand, "Come on."

Damon just looked at her funny.

"Just trust me, okay. It'll be good for you."

Damon hesitated a moment or two, before taking her hand, and following her out.

The two walked in silence the entire time, holding hands the whole way. Neither of them spoke even as Phoebe laid down in the middle of the highway. Damon gave her a funny look, but Phoebe only patted the ground next to her, meaning for him to lay there, so he did.

"What are we doing out here?" Damon asked, staring up at the stars.

"Isn't this what you usually do when you've had a rough day? Lay in the middle of the road, wait for a pretty young woman to pass through, compel her to listen to your problems, then eat her?" Phoebe replied.

Damon turned his head to look at her, "So what? You're my new wingman, now?"

Phoebe laughed, "If that's what it takes. You've had a no good, very bad day, today. As your friend, I'd have to say you need this. And I say that as someone who understands that you're hurting and that you deal with pain in a different way, _not_ as someone you've corrupted into thinking that killing an innocent human is okay."

"...I'm sorry I said those things...I'm sorry I pushed you away, without giving you any kind of credit for how strong you are. And I'm sorry I turned right around and slept with Rose."

Phoebe turned her head to look at him, "I know. And I forgive you."

Damon turned to look back up at the night sky, "I have a secret...a big secret...but I've never said it out loud."

"Why not?"

"Because what's the point? It's not gonna change anything. It's not gonna make me good. Make me adopt a puppy," he replied. Damon turned his head to look at her, and added, "I can't be what other people want me to be. What you want me to be."

Phoebe reached out and took his hand, "The only thing I want you to be is you, Damon. That's all I've ever wanted. But like it or not, you are changing, Damon. That's what happens when you love someone...You've changed me, too. You've made me more confident in my convictions. You've taught me to stop caring about what other people think of me. You've helped me to be more outspoken...You've helped me find the courage to be myself. So be yourself with me, like you used to. Tell me what's on your mind, and trust that I won't judge you for it. Tell me because you just need someone to talk to, regardless of whether it'll change anything or not."

Damon stared into her eyes for a moment, before finding the courage to tell her, "...I'm not human, Phoebe. But I miss it. I miss it more than anything in the world...that's my secret...but there is only so much hurt a man can take."

Phoebe sat up, and turned her whole body to face him, "Then let me help you."

"How?" Damon asked, sitting up.

"Let me take away some of your pain. Just enough to make it bearable. I mean, it'll wear off after a while, but I can keep doing it, until you've moved past this," said Phoebe. Damon said nothing. He just looked at her. "This isn't me trying to change you, this is me trying to help you. If you'd prefer to rip some girl's throat out, then go for it. I won't try to stop you, and I won't judge you. But just know that doing that will only be a temporary fix."

"So would your suggestion," he noted.

"Yes, but at least with mine, you won't leave behind a trail of empty bodies and bourbon bottles," she countered.

"Why are you so willing to give me this free pass to kill someone? You say I haven't corrupted you, but how can you be okay with me doing this?"

"You've had a rough time, since you came to Mystic Falls. You found out the woman you'd spent the last 150 loving never cared about you, you've been forced to express the feelings you've begun to develop, you've had to wrestle with the option of being selfish enough to be mine or try being noble and push me away, you made a new friend who was a lot like you but then had to lose her to a werewolf bite...I could go on, but I think you get my point," answered Phoebe. "All of that is weighing on you more than you'd care to admit, Damon. It's crushing you, and you're fighting to stay together. But sometimes, you just need to let yourself fall apart."

Damon began fighting the tears that were trying to work their way down his face.

"Damon, do you know how a star is made?" Phoebe asked him. He gave her a funny look. "A star is only born when a gaseous nebula collapses in on itself. So collapse. Fall apart. You're not being destroyed, this is your birth. The new Damon Salvatore."

Damon considered her words, as he lost the battle with his tears. Phoebe reached out, and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. Damon managed to nod, giving her permission to make it stop hurting, so she did. She reached out and embraced him, as he cried, and began to siphon away his pain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember when I said I was going to write in a character early? Well, that's going to happen in the next chapter! Now, many of you guys are excited about season 3 and the originals coming in more, but no one's said anything about when the originals go to New Orleans. I know it's a ways out, but what do you guys think will happen with that? Will Phoebe stay in Mystic Falls? Or do you think her attachment with one of the characters will make her want to follow them to New Orleans? Or maybe something later on will cause her to go down to New Orleans and stay.
> 
> So what do you think of Phoebe's cool new powers? Which do you think she'll develop next? Fire? Or Air? What cool new things will she be able to do with those elements? How do you think Elijah will test her to see which element will be next? What's going to happen with all those wolves coming to town? What will Phoebe think of Damon and Andie together? Will she be supportive? Or will she be upset with Damon? How will Phoebe react to hearing Caroline's been kidnapped by the werewolves? Will she let the boys handle it? Or will she kick some werewolf ass?
> 
> What do you guys think so far? What do you think will happen in the future? What do you guys hope to see in the future?


	35. Daddy Issues

Chapter 35: Daddy Issues

The morning after Rose’s death, Caroline walks outside to find Tyler waiting for her. She thinks he’s there to talk about their kiss, so she tells him that they can’t be anything more than friends, because Matt is still in the picture for her. Tyler is okay with this, but only because he cares more about the things Jules told him last night.

Tyler asks Caroline if she knew what happened to Mason, but she only asks him to let her explain. Tyler grows angry and demands to know if she knew this whole time that he was dead. Caroline shamefully admits that she did, but begs him to let her explain. Feeling betrayed Tyler storms off, refusing to hear another word from Caroline.

Meanwhile, feeling much better this morning, Damon takes a shower while listening to the news. The reporter, Andie Star, talks about the dead park ranger and campers that Jules tore apart on the full moon. John watches the same news from the Gilbert kitchen, as he pours himself a cup of coffee. Phoebe soon joins him, looking rather wrecked. She was wearing a large t-shirt – presumably one she normally only wore to sleep in – that had an image of a red shirt from Star Trek, and said ‘Dead Man Walking’. She also wore a pair of jeans, converse, and her hair...was still down...

“What happened to you?” John asked.

“Shhh!” replied Phoebe, with a finger over her lips. “Inside voices, please.”

John fought a laugh, and turned the volume down on the TV, “Are you...hung over?”

Phoebe sat on a stool at the island, plopped her head down on the counter, and groaned, “I feel like it...mmmm”

“Were you drinking last night?”John asked in that parental tone, as he fixed her a cup of coffee.

“No. I just used my power a lot yesterday. Elijah had me train most of the day, and then there was Rose and Damon...”

“What about Rose and Damon?” John asked, confused.

Phoebe looked up, and accepted the coffee, “You mean, no one told you?”

“Phoebe, no one tells me anything. You’re the only one that ever keeps me in the loop,” he told her.

“Right...there’s this new she-wolf in town, looking for Mason Lockwood. Damon, of course, pissed her off, and she tried to kill him on the full moon, but she bit Rose instead,” she said. She heard Andie talk about the dead campers and ranger, and she gestured to the TV, “I’m guessing that was her handy-work, since she wasn’t locked up for the full moon.”

John looked over at the TV.

“Anyway, Rose was in a lot of pain, so I siphoned it away for her,” Phoebe continued. She could see John was about to lecture her on being alone with a sick vampire, so she stopped him. “Before you lecture me, I wasn’t alone with her. Elijah was there. In fact, he was the one that put her out of her misery.”

“So, Rose is...dead?”

Phoebe nodded, “Damon took it kinda hard. He really liked her. So I took him out for some air, and convinced him to let me help him through it, instead of literally sucking the life out of some innocent girl.”

“Wow. You really did use your power a lot yesterday,” said John.

Phoebe groaned, as she sipped her coffee.

“So this is what happens when you use your power too much...you get a hangover,” he noted. “Is that why you didn’t go on your run with Matt this morning?”

“Yup.”

“Oh, god...I’m late!” said Jenna, rushing in for a cup of coffee to go.

“Well, that’s what you get for hitting the snooze button three times,” Rick laughed, following her into the kitchen.

Phoebe plopped her head back down onto the counter, trying to block out the loud voices; as Rick made his exit, Elena entered, and Jenna made sniping remarks at John. One thing she did catch, though, was Jenna asking John when he was going to be leaving, now that he was all better.

“As long as I’m wanted, I see no reason to leave,” replied John.

“Ya see, that’s the thing, John, you’re not wanted. No one here actually wants you here,” Jenna argued.

Phoebe half-heartedly lifted a hand, “That’s not true. I want him here.”

John gave Jenna a gloating look.

Jenna leaned in closer to Phoebe, “Look, I get you actually like the guy, but can’t he stay somewhere else, like a hotel, or something? I mean, why does he have to stay with us?”

In the state Phoebe was in, she didn’t seem to care much for filtering her mouth at this time, so she sat up, and told Jenna, “Because he’s my dad, and I want him here.”

Jenna, John, and Elena all looked at her in surprise, as Phoebe realized what she just said, and how she’d said it.

“What?” Jenna questioned, glancing at John.

“Jenna, I’m so sorry, we should’ve told you sooner,” Elena began.

“Uncle John is actually our biological father,” Phoebe finished. This time she said it more delicately.

“What?” Jenna repeated, in shock.

Phoebe shared a look with Elena, as they both tried thinking of the right words to help explain this to her. Phoebe then recieved a text from Caroline – a supernatural emergency. While Elena began to form words, thus drawing Jenna's focus to her, Phoebe sent a reply to Caroline.

“ _In the middle of something. Call Stefan,_ ” said Phoebe.

“ _Tyler knows that Mason is dead. And he knows Stefan and Damon are vampires!_ ” Caroline replied.

Phoebe wanted more than anything to go talk to Caroline about this, but she had to stay here and help Elena bring Jenna to terms with this bombshell.

“ _Jenna just found out John is our dad. Got my hands full right now. Call Stefan,_ ” Phoebe told her.

“ _You sure? Did you even tell him I've been helping Tyler with his werewolf stuff? Did you tell him he already knew I was a vampire?_ ” Caroline asked.

“ _No, but he has to learn sometime. Just call Stefan. NOT DAMON,_ ” said Phoebe.

And that was the end of that. Phoebe put down her phone, and focused on helping Elena talk to Jenna.

Meanwhile, Stefan and Damon argued about Stefan reaching out to John for help. John had apparently called Isobel and devised a plan to keep the girls safe with her, which he wasn’t telling anyone else about. At least, not Stefan or Damon. Stefan’s okay with John not telling them his plan, because he’ll at least talk to Phoebe about it, and then Phoebe will tell them. Damon, on the other hand, doesn’t believe they were desperate enough to reach out to Johnathan Gilbert and Isobel for help.

Elsewhere, Tyler and Jules talk in the Lockwood study. Jules wants him to leave town with her, and let her help teach him what it means to be a lycanthrope. Tyler, on the other hand, wants to stay in Mystic Falls. His mother, friends, his whole life is there. He doesn't just want to pick up and leave, without an explanation for his mom. Jules insists that he isn't safe there with so many vampires around, and tells him that he's beginning a new life as a lycanthrope. His old life is in Mystic Falls, but his new life is just beginning.

Over at Caroline's, Caroline fills Stefan in on everything. She tells him how Tyler figured out she was a vampire, but she claimed to be the only one in town. Now Tyler knows that she lied about that, and that she lied about not knowing what happened to Mason. She begs Stefan to try talking to him, because he always knows the right thing to say, and Tyler won't talk to her right now.

Back at the Gilbert House, things have finally settled down. Jenna finally accepted the news enough to calm down and leave, John left to get out for a bit, and Elena left to meet up with Stefan and help him talk to Tyler. Phoebe was about to lay down and relax, when someone knocked on the door.

“Where's John?” Damon asked. He walked right in, before Phoebe could open the door all the way.

“No, please come in,” said Phoebe, sarcastically. Damon ignored her, as he looked around for John. “He's not here, Damon. He went out. I don't know where he went.”

Damon stopped looking around, and looked back at Phoebe. She still looked completely wrecked.

“You look terrible,” he noted.

Phoebe narrowed her eyes at him, “The three words every woman longs to hear.”

Damon rolled his eyes and tried to rephrase, “You look...sick or hungover. What's the matter?”

Part of Phoebe wanted to tell him the truth about being overly exerted from using her power so much yesterday, but she knew is she did that he would refuse any further “treatments” from her.

“I didn't sleep well last night, and this morning...I blurted out that John was our dad to Jenna,” she replied.

Damon eyed her suspiciously. He'd never known Phoebe to drop bombshells like that on someone so randomly.

“You okay?” he asked her.

“Yeah. Jenna's head is spinning, and Elena's not too happy with me, but I'm okay.”

“So did your dad happen to tell you what his plan to keep you and Elena safe from Klaus was?” Damon asked.

“Nope,” she sighed. Phoebe noticed the look on Damon's face. “I know you don't trust him, but I do. Isobel, on the other hand...not so much.”

“I don't trust her either,” he agreed.

“So what are you gonna do?” Phoebe asked.

Damon made a face, “Kill him.”

“Damon-”

“I'm joking,” he defended. Phoebe stared him down. “...Okay, I'm a little serious.”

“Damon!”

Damon cracked a smile, “I'm not gonna hurt him, Phoebe, okay? I know he's important to you. So I'm just gonna have a civil conversation with your father.”

Phoebe tried to figure out whether he was joking again or not, but she was so off today, she honestly couldn't tell. So as Damon walked out the door, Phoebe scrunched her face up into a pout and whined a little, then followed him out.

Meanwhile, in the woods, the rest of Jules' pack arrives from Florida. She meets up with them, and explains that she wants Tyler to join their pack more than she wants to get revenge on the vampires for killing Mason. Her boyfriend, Brady, suggests they get both.

Elsewhere, John tries catching up with Carol Lockwood on what the Council has been up to. She tells him Damon is leading the Council now, so he needs to talk to him about that. John isn't happy to hear that a vampire is leading their Council, but keeps his mouth shut. He then spots Jeremy and Anna and approaches them. He invites them to have lunch with him, but they refuse. Anna still hates him for killing her mother. John apologizes again for doing that, and assures them that he plans to keep his promise about not being a bigot towards vampires anymore.

Meanwhile, Dr. Martin tries talking to Bonnie, but she isn't very receptive. She doesn't like that she was betrayed by Luka, when she went to him for help in destroying the moonstone. Dr. Martin doesn't deny that he and Luka are working with Elijah, but that doesn't mean they aren't also looking out for Bonnie. He also assures her that Elijah is a man of his word, and he _will_ keep his end of the deal with Phoebe. Bonnie doesn't believe him.

Over at the Grill, Jenna has lunch with Rick. She tells him what happened at the house, after he left this morning, which he's surprised to hear. Jenna is just amazed at the reality of how they're all connected. John is her sister's husband's brother, and Isobel is her boyfriend's dead wife.

John enters the Grill for lunch, and spots Jenna and Rick. He asks if he can join them, but neither one of them are okay with that. Thankfully, he's soon distracted by Damon and Phoebe entering the restaurant.

“We just need answers, okay? So please don't do anything stupid.” said Phoebe, holding Damon back for a moment.

Damon looked down at her, “Yeah, but stupid is so much more fun.”

Phoebe gave a light smirk, “I mean it, Damon. Please, just try and keep it together...Be the better man.”

Damon gave her a lingering look, then walked away to talk to John. Phoebe, on the other hand, headed for the bar.

“Mint tea,” she ordered, hopping onto a bar stool.

“We don't have mint tea,” said the bartender.

Phoebe began massaging her temples, “Then bring me a green tea – which I know you have – and give me some of those mint leaves you put in the mojitos and juleps.”

Since it was just a tea bag and a cup of hot water, it didn't take long for the bartender to return with Phoebe's order. The tea bag itself was one of the packets you get at the store in a box of tea bags, so while Phoebe tore the packet open the bartender got her mint leaves for her. That was when the woman two bar stools down began to watch Phoebe with fascination.

Phoebe tore apart the mint leaves into little, tiny pieces and stuck them aside. She then carefully opened the tea bag, and stuffed the mint leaves inside. She resealed the bag, and began steeping the tea.

“Impressive,” said the woman.

Phoebe looked over to see who she was, but found she had no idea who this person was. She was completely new to Mystic Falls.

“Thanks,” said Phoebe, looking her over.

The woman had long, brown hair and brown eyes, just like Phoebe; and she wore something similar to what Phoebe would wear, only far less nerdy. She wore jeans that were ripping in a couple of places, combat boots, a dark shirt, and a leather jacket.

“You know, if you've got a hangover I can think of several other remedies that would help better than mint tea,” said the woman.

“So can I, but it's not technically a hangover. Not from alcohol, at least,” said Phoebe, swirling her teabag in the water.

“Oh...”

Phoebe dropped her teabag, and turned to face the woman, “No, no, I didn't mean drugs. I don’t…It’s a long story. But no illegal substances were consumed last night.”

She smiled at Phoebe, amused, and extended a hand, “I’m Hayley.”

“Phoebe,” replied Phoebe, shaking her hand. “Welcome to Mystic Falls.”

“Is it that obvious?” Hayley asked.

“This is a _really_ small town. Everyone knows everyone, here,” said Phoebe.

“So it _is_ obvious. Got it,” said Hayley, jokingly.

Phoebe laughed, and began sipping her tea, “So what brings you to Mystic Falls?”

“Uh, I heard some relatives of mine were here, so I came to visit,” said Hayley.

Phoebe became suspicious, but maintained a poker face, “Relatives, huh? They from Mystic Falls, or did they just recently move here?”

“Neither. Their just in town to see some friends,” said Hayley. “I think they’re from Florida.”

Phoebe froze, _“Florida? That’s where Mason and Jules came from. Is she talking about them? Or are there more wolves in town?”_

“Really? Who are they staying with?” Phoebe asked. Hayley gave her a suspicious look, so Phoebe gave her an innocent smile, and added, “Sorry. Small town nosieness. We’re all used to knowing everything about everyone.”

Hayley seemed to buy her explanation, but still seemed a little suspicious, “I’m not sure who they’re staying with. I just heard there was a group of them heading to Mystic Falls.”

 _“A **group**?”_ Phoebe thought to herself. _“Holy Hera, that doesn’t sound good.”_

“I’m sorry if this is too personal of a question, but why are you so desperate to meet up with relatives that you don’t even know?” Phoebe asked.

“Who says I’m desperate?” Hayley questioned.

“You came all the way out here to Mystic Falls to meet up with some relatives, based off of a thin rumor that they were coming here to see some friends. You haven’t even mentioned how you’re related to anyone of them, or mentioned anyone by name. That means they’re pretty distant relatives, but for some reason, you want to find them,” Phoebe explained.

Hayley looked impressed, “You always this smart?”

Phoebe shrugged, “I’m kind of the town genius. Literally.”

“Genius as in a literal genius, with the high IQ and all that; or…”

“Literal genius,” said Phoebe.

Hayley got excited, “I’ve never met a genius before. What’s your IQ?”

Phoebe shook her head, “I don’t like telling.”

“Why not?”

“Because when I do, people tend to think I’m bragging or something, and they get all offended. And if they don’t get offended, they get intimidated and never speak to me again,” said Phoebe.

“What if I promise not to do either? Then will you tell me?” Hayley asked.

“Why do you want to know so bad?” Phoebe asked.

“Has anyone ever told you you ask a lot of questions?” Hayley countered. Phoebe gave her a look. “Come on, I’ve answered several of your questions, it’s only fair.”

Phoebe rolled her eyes, and grinned, “167.”

“Wow, that’s…awesome! What are you doing in a small town like this, with an IQ like that?” Hayley asked.

“My parents never wanted me to skip grades – even though they were asked every year – because they wanted me to make more friends, and moving me up with the older kids would make that harder to do. Plus my best and only friend was in the same grade as me, and they didn’t want to separate us,” she explained. Phoebe held up a finger, “Correction, my aunt and uncle, not my parents.”

“You were raised by your aunt and uncle?”

Phoebe nodded, “My parents were just teenagers when they got pregnant with me and my sister – we’re twins – so my dad’s brother and sister-in-law raised us as their own.”

“When did you find out? I mean, that they weren’t your parents?” Hayley asked.

“I found out when I was 4 – I heard my dad and uncle arguing one night. My dad wanted to take us and raise us, now that he was older, but my uncle argued that we were already too settled in where we were, with the lives we had to be taken away. Even living in the same town would have been too much change, in his opinion, because we were already used to seeing our cousin as our little brother, and our aunt and uncle as our parents. Personally, I would have preferred to be raised by my dad. Not that my aunt and uncle weren’t good parents, it’s just I’ve always been close to my dad. My dad is my favorite person in the world…I don’t know what I’d do without him,” Phoebe explained. “Anyway, my sister and I found out for sure just a few months ago.”

“Wow. Well, I suppose that’s better than being given to a new family entirely,” said Hayley. “I have no idea who my birth parents are, and my adoptive parents disowned me when they found out I was a wer-”

Phoebe looked at her out of the corner of her eye.

Hayley cleared her throat, “I mean, when they found out I was…different.”

Phoebe thought it over, before saying, “Parents couldn’t handle the supernatural, huh?”

Hayley looked at her suspiciously.

“My sister freaked out, too, when she found out she was dating a vampire,” said Phoebe, casually.

Hayley still said nothing.

Phoebe looked at her, “You were gonna say werewolf, right? Your adoptive parents abandoned you when they found out you were a werewolf.”

Hayley looked around nervously, and moved to a stool closer to Phoebe, “How do you know about werewolves and vampires?”

“Okay, first of all, relax. I’m not gonna hurt you, nor will I let anyone else hurt you. I may have several vampire friends that I’m particularly fond of, but only one of them actually believes in werewolf genocide. Me personally, I don’t care if you’re a werewolf, a vampire, a witch, a doppelganger, or an elemental. I have friends and family of all those kinds,” Phoebe told her. “Secondly…I believe I’ve just answered your question. Mystic Falls itself is like a fraking beacon for supernatural creatures.”

Hayley continued to stare at her. She wanted to believe her when she said she didn’t care what kind of supernatural creature you were, and that she wouldn’t let anyone hurt her for being a werewolf; but they’d only just met. Could she really be taken at her word?

“What if I promise not to tell anyone that you’re a werewolf, or that you’re here to meet up with a pack of werewolves?” Phoebe asked. “I mean, I’m assuming that’s why you’re here, to join their pack.”

“How do I know you’ll keep your word? I don’t know you. And you said it yourself, you’ve got vampire friends. How do I know you won’t tell them, and have them wipe us all out before the next full moon?” Hayley questioned.

Phoebe thought for a moment, trying to find some way of making her feel more at ease, “What if I tell you something equally secret? Something I’ve never told anyone, and don’t want anyone to know about. Something you could very easily tell my friends and family, if I break my promise.”

Though she’d only known her for a few minutes, Hayley found it hard to believe she kept secrets from her friends, much less a big one. In the end, Hayley decided to trust her, “So what’s this big secret? I can’t imagine a girl like you having many secrets.”

Phoebe smirked for a brief moment, then became serious, “I’m dying.”

Hayley hesitated, “What?”

Phoebe looked across the Grill at Damon to make sure he wasn’t listening in, before explaining, “I have a rare condition called cystic fibrosis. It’s a condition which affects the lungs and digestive system. When you have it, you’re lucky if you live to be 40…I’ll be lucky if I live another 20 years.”

Hayley studied her, wondering how she could hide something like that. Why would she want to hide something like that?

“I don’t want people to know, because they treat me like I’m fragile just know I’m sick, if they knew they only had another 20 or so years left with me...,” Phoebe continued. Hayley followed her gaze to Damon, as she went on. “The vampires especially wouldn’t want to let themselves get close to me. It’s bad enough as it is to make friends with a human, but one that’s already dying…He’d run so fast, just to avoid the pain…Good enough?”

This girl was either a damn-good actress, or she was telling the truth. Hayley decided to believe the latter. She gave Phoebe a simple nod of acknowledgement. After that, the conversation turned to a lighter note.

Meanwhile, Stefan and Elena try talking to Tyler at his house, but Tyler isn’t very receptive. Stefan tries explaining that this is his home, too, and he wants to stay in Mystic Falls, so why not make it work? They also try explaining that the vampires versus werewolves thing is an age old feud that doesn’t apply to them anymore. They don’t have to be enemies.

Unfortunately, Tyler would prefer to believe Jules over Stefan and Elena – remarking that Elena has probably been compelled to take Stefan’s side – and when Jules calls him, he calls out for help. Jules – out in the woods with the other wolves – tells them that Tyler is in trouble, and they devise a plan to get him back.

Back at the Grill, Damon tries threatening John into telling him what his plan is, but John isn’t phased at all by Damon’s threats. He remarks that since originals can compel vampires, he doesn’t know if he can trust Damon. For all he knows, Damon could be compelled to find out John’s plan and report back to Klaus or Elijah. Damon reminds him that he and Stefan have been drinking vervain, so they aren’t susceptible to compulsion; but John still refuses to say a word.

Elsewhere, Caroline runs into Matt on the street, as she’s getting into her car. Matt asks her if they can talk later, and clear up some of the weirdness between them. Caroline happily agrees to do that, making plans to swing by after his shift is over.

Once Matt walks away, Jules approaches Caroline. She asks her if she’s seen Tyler, but doesn’t believe Caroline when she says she hasn’t seen him since that morning. Caroline becomes annoyed with Jules, and tries to attack her; but only gets a face full of vervain water, and a wooden bullet to the head.

She wakes up inside a cage in the camper that wolves have in the woods. She cries out in pain, as she removes the wooden bullet from her head. After trying – and failing – to unlock her cage, Brady shoots her again – only this time, in the right side of her chest.

Back at the Lockwood’s, Stefan and Elena continue to try talking to Tyler, without success. In the middle of another conversation, Stefan gets a call from Caroline’s phone, but it isn’t Caroline on the other end. It’s Jules. She wants Stefan to meet her in the clearing by Wickery Falls, so they can trade Tyler for Caroline. To prove she has Caroline, Jules has Brady shoot Caroline in the arm. Her agonizing screams are Stefan’s proof.

Meanwhile, at the Grill, Jenna introduces her friend Andie Star to Damon. Andie offers to buy him a drink, hoping to get the chance to get to know him; but after a look at Phoebe, Damon politely refuses her offer, and walks away. He joins Phoebe at the bar, since her new friend has left to go to the bathroom.

As Damon order a drink, Phoebe remarked, “You totally just blew her off.”

Damon looked at her, surprised she noticed, “I’m steering clear of all women, at the moment. Trust me; it’s in the best interest of women everywhere.”

Phoebe hid a smirk.

“So who’s your new friend?” Damon asked, sipping his bourbon.

Phoebe was about to answer, when she got a call from Elena. She told Phoebe about the phone call from Jules, threatening to kill Caroline if Stefan didn’t bring Tyler to her in the woods, and Stefan was headed there now. Damon, who had used his vampire hearing to listen in on her phone call, began to grow upset that no one told him about Tyler.

“Why am I just hearing about this now?” he asked.

“Because I knew you would try to kill him,” Phoebe replied.

“Of course! That’s what needs to happen,” said Damon.

“No, Damon, it doesn’t. Not every werewolf deserves to die, just like not every vampire deserves to die,” Phoebe argued.

“Phoebe, the guys a werewolf. One bite and-”

“I know that, Damon, and if you seriously think that it doesn’t terrify me to think about him possibly getting loose one night and biting one of you, you are seriously mistaken,” she said quickly. “But Tyler isn’t our enemy. And neither was Mason, before you spat in his face and stabbed him in the back.”

“The guy was working for Katherine. He’d have stabbed us in the back, if I hadn’t stabbed him first,” Damon argued.

Phoebe grabbed him by the arms, “Damon, please. I need you to stop with the werewolf genocide thing.”

“And you need to stop assuming I’m gonna play the good guy, just because it’s you asking,” said Damon.

“I have never asked you to be anything but yourself, Damon, until now. All I’m asking you for is the same thing I asked my dad for, when he believed all vampires should die,” said Phoebe. “If he can put aside his bigotry of you and your kind, can’t you do that for Tyler and the other werewolves? Be the better man, Damon.”

Damon looked at her for a moment, and took a deep breath. He said nothing, as he headed for the door; but when he noticed Phoebe following him, he spun around, “Where are you going?”

“With you,” she replied. Damon started to argue, but Phoebe wouldn’t hear it. “You’ve got two choices, Damon. You can either let me come along, or I can knock you out with my new superpower and go without you. Your choice.”

Given the choice, Damon chose to let her join him willingly. At least then he could keep her safe. If she went without him, then he couldn’t do anything to help her. Meanwhile, Hayley had been watching the two talk so intently at the bar, and was now following them out.

Out at the Wickery Falls, Brady continues to torture Caroline. He asks her how many vampires there are in Mystic Falls, but she refuses to answer. He tries to persuade her with a vervain water-filled squirt gun, but it doesn’t work. He then moves onto another toy, a blow dart. He blows wooden darts into her neck, but she still only screams to be let out.

Back at the Grill, Elena arrives to talk to Phoebe, but finds Phoebe is gone. John, on the other hand, has been informed by Phoebe of what is going on, and refuses to let Elena leave the Grill and put herself in danger. While he babysits Elena, Stefan and Tyler arrive at the falls. Stefan and Jules begin negotiations – Stefan doing his best to remain civil. A few minutes later, Damon arrives with Phoebe.

“My brother the peacemaker,” Damon commented. “Since Stefan got here before me, I’m gonna let him try it his way, before I resort to my way – which is a little bloodier.”

“Give us Caroline,” Phoebe demanded.

“Let go of Tyler,” Jules demanded.

“Just give us Caroline. Without a full moon it’s not an even fight and you know it,” said Damon. “We will take you.”

“I’m not so sure of that, tough guy,” replied Jules. She put two fingers in her mouth and whistled loudly. All of a sudden, several wolves popped up with various vampire-killing weapons.

Phoebe was the only one not surprised by this, because of Hayley’s information earlier.

“Let’s try this again. Give us Tyler,” Jules demanded.

Phoebe rolled her eyes, as she shoved Tyler forward. Once he reached Jules, Brady asked, “Which one of you killed Mason?”

“Uh, that’d be me,” Damon replied, proudly. Phoebe hit him playfully.

“Boys, make sure that one suffers,” Brady called, pointing at Damon.

“We can take ‘em,” Damon mumbled.

“I don’t know about that,” Stefan replied.

“Relax, boys. You’ve got me on your side tonight,” said Phoebe, trying her best to focus.

Damon charged at Jules, but she scaled the wall of the camper, and came down behind him. Another wolf started up the flame thrower, aiming it at Stefan. Stefan flitted behind him, using him to shoot flames at the other wolves. Phoebe looked at the two wolves approaching her from either side. She extended her hands towards them, and closed her eyes. Just before reaching her, they both began coughing up blood profusely. Another wolf saw this, and shot a wooden stake at her head. Stefan caught it inches from her face.

Back by the camper, Damon ripped out the heart of a wolf that tried to jump on him from the roof of the camper, and proceeded towards Brady. Tyler ran inside the camper to find Caroline, but hesitated when she tried telling him how to unlock her cage.

With the two wolves down from severe blood loss, Phoebe opened her eyes. She stopped one wolf from attacking Stefan while he went after the one that shot a stake at Phoebe, but another one managed to stab Stefan in the back with a stake.

Meanwhile, Tyler finally releases Caroline from her cage, and Damon gets the upper hand on Brady. Jules shoots Damon with a wooden bullet, then pins Caroline against the camper, threatening to shoot her. Tyler watches, not even trying to help his friend.

Phoebe grabs a stake, and shoves it into the wolf’s heart – the one that stabbed Stefan, “Should’ve paid more attention in biology.”

Phoebe bent down to help Stefan – not realizing Damon was about to be staked by Brady – as Dr. Martin arrived, bringing all the wolves down with the aneurism spell. Everyone not affected looked around in confusion.

“It’s about time,” Phoebe mumbled, helping Stefan to his feet.

“Elijah made a promise to Phoebe. I’m here to see it’s upheld,” said Dr. Martin. He looked at Phoebe, “You and your friends need to go.”

Phoebe and Stefan grabbed Damon and Caroline, and took off. Dr. Martin lingered for a moment to give Tyler a warning from Elijah: he and his friends need to get the hell out of Mystic Falls. As he walked away, Hayley tried to process everything she’d just seen. She’d been hiding in the trees this whole time, watching the negotiations, the fighting, and Dr. Martin saving the day. Phoebe had kept her promise, but she’s also lent a helping hand in killing these wolves. Not only that, but she’d used magic! She never said anything about being a witch at the bar. There was definitely more to this girl than meets the eye.

“So is your mom home?” Phoebe asked, walking Caroline to her front door.

“No. She’s at work,” she replied, opening the door. Phoebe followed her inside. “You don’t have to stay with me, I’m fine.”

Phoebe looked her in the eye, “You don’t have to pretend with me, Caroline. We’re not mortal enemies anymore. It’s okay to see each other defeated or weakened. Anyone would be upset after what you went through tonight.”

“I’m not girlie little Caroline anymore. I can handle myself,” she argued.

Phoebe nodded, “Yes, you can. But you still might need some help digging those splinters out of your neck.”

Caroline smiled, “Fine. You can help me dig the splinters out of my neck. But then, will you please go?”

Phoebe rolled her eyes playfully, “Yes.”

She followed Caroline to her room, and began pulling out the splinters. While she did, Caroline received a call from Matt. She told him that she wasn’t going to make it tonight, because something came up with Bonnie, and wants to reschedule for another night. Matt agrees to it, but only because he knows she’s lying. Bonnie is at the Grill, currently, laughing away with Jeremy and Anna.

When Phoebe was done, she left Caroline to shower. On her way out, Phoebe runs into Tyler. Phoebe stood her ground in front of Caroline’s front door, “What are you doing here?”

“I came to see if Caroline was okay,” he said.

“Do you know what they did to her?” Phoebe asked.

“I’m sorry. But it’s crazy now. Okay? I don’t know who to trust. And she lied to me,” said Tyler.

Phoebe stepped forward, aggressively, “She lied to protect our friends. She lied to protect you. Don’t you get that? And Stefan and Elena tried to explain things to you, and all you did was get Caroline kidnapped and tortured.”

“Phoebe-”

Phoebe took another aggressive step forward, “You just stood there! When they were going to kill us, you just stood there! You didn’t do anything!”

“I didn’t know what to do!” Tyler argued.

“You help your friends, Tyler, that’s what you do,” she said.

“I’m sorry,” Tyler began.

“No, it’s too late. You chose to believe complete strangers over the people you’ve known your entire life. You chose to stand idly by, while your friends were being threatened,” said Phoebe. “If you think Caroline is still going to be your friend after tonight, you must be dumber than I thought. What happened to Caroline tonight, that will _never_ happen to her again. So you take that back to your little werewolf pack, and you get the hell away from Caroline.”

“Phoebe-”

“I said go!” Phoebe shouted, pointing. As she did, sparks flew out of her hand, like fireworks.

Tyler didn’t seem to notice, as he took off. He seemed to have other things on his mind, and the pyrotechnics weren’t that extravagant. They were mild sparks like a sparkler, and they only lasted a brief moment. But as Tyler sulked away, Phoebe got on the phone, and called Bonnie and Elena. If Caroline Forbes ever needed a girls’ night, it was tonight.

Meanwhile, at the Boarding House, John pays Damon a visit. He gives him an old dagger and a bottle of white oak ash, claiming that it can kill an original. When Damon questions how he knows all of this, John tells him that Isobel told him. He also tells Damon that if Isobel pulls off what she’s working on right now, Klaus will never set foot in Mystic Falls.

“If Klaus never steps foot in Mystic Falls, why bother giving me a dagger to kill him?” Damon asked.

“Because the dagger isn’t for Klaus, it’s for Elijah,” John answered. “Phoebe may be willing to trust him, but I’m not. He’s an original, and he wants to use my daughter as a weapon to destroy another original.”

“So you want me to kill him for you,” Damon guessed. “Why not do it yourself?”

“Because you don’t trust him either. You want him dead just as much as I do,” John answered. “You see, Damon, when it comes to Phoebe, we’re on the same side. All we want is to keep her safe. Now are you willing to killing Elijah to ensure she isn’t used as a weapon? Or are you okay with an original using her to settle a personal grievance?”

Back at the falls, Tyler rejoins the wolves, and asks if this is what being a part of a pack is going to be like all the time. Jules and Brady both tell him no. It’s only like this here, because they’re in vampire country, so to speak. Brady then wonders why Mason was stupid enough to stick around and get himself killed. Tyler mentions that he was looking for something called a moonstone. That piqued their interest. They ask Tyler where it is now, but he doesn’t know.

Meanwhile, at Caroline’s Bonnie and Elena arrive to have a girls’ night with Caroline. They tell her Phoebe arranged it, and Caroline smiles. All these years that she was so mean to Phoebe, she was missing out on having one of the best friends anyone could ask for.

Later at the Boarding House, Damon gives Andie a call – per Phoebe’s encouragement – and invites her over for a night cap. The two end up in a bubble bath together, and they talk about Damon’s relationship problems with Phoebe. After compelling her not to be afraid of him, he tells her their whole story, from the moment they met to right now. In the end, Andie tells him the same thing Phoebe told him: people change when they love someone. And his love for Phoebe is changing him. There’s no fighting it.

While Damon receives Andie’s words of wisdom, John pays Katherine a visit in the tomb. He tells her that Isobel received her message, and that he’s already working on getting her out of the tomb…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, there you have it. More information on Phoebe was revealed, Hayley was brought in early, and Phoebe exhibited signs of her next power! The next chapter is going to be a lot more interesting. Definitely more exciting.
> 
> Will the werewolves go after both of the twins? Or just the one they’ve seen? Will Hayley help them? Will she tell Phoebe’s friends her secret, after what she did to the wolves? How would they all react to finding out that Phoebe is dying?
> 
> As always, let me know what you guys think so far. What do you think will happen in the future? What do you hope to see in the future (no matter how distant)?


	36. Crying Wolf

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: This chapter may be perceived as too dark for some of you. Be warned.

Chapter 36: Crying Wolf

The morning after Phoebe and the Salvatore brothers rescued Caroline from the werewolves, the remaining wolves burned their dead in the woods. Afterwards, one of the remaining wolves – Stevie – tells Brady and Jules about the sun and the moon curse, and that he thinks Mason was looking into breaking it. More than that, he suspects the vampires of attempting to break the curse. There are several vampires in Mystic Falls, Mason was here looking for the moonstone, there are witches, and that human girl that was helping the vampires last night looked a lot like Mason’s girlfriend Kathy. That’s enough for Brady. He refuses to leave town, until they’ve stopped the vampires from breaking the curse.

Meanwhile at Caroline’s, the three girls are awoken by Elena’s phone ringing. Bonnie and Caroline kick her out of the bed, and she slinks away to answer it. It’s Stefan. He asks her how her slumber party went, and she tells him it was much needed for all of them, but asks him to take her far, far away. Stefan makes sure she’s sure about taking a trip together, given everything that’s going on, before the pair begin planning a weekend getaway.

Elsewhere, Phoebe and John return home from a morning jog – Matt had to work, and John needed the exercise – to find a girl sitting on their porch. It was Hayley, and she didn’t look too happy.

“I’ll be inside, if you need me,” said John, sensing the tension.

Once he disappeared inside, Hayley let loose, “You lied to me. You said you wouldn’t tell your vampire friends about the wolves, but you did. And what’s worse, you helped them kill the wolves!”

“That’s not true, I kept my promise,” Phoebe argued. “Your alpha – Jules – called us threatening to kill my friend, if we didn’t give her what she wanted.”

“Well, I guess you shouldn’t have kidnapped that werewolf guy,” said Hayley.

“We didn’t...I’ve known Tyler since I was a kid. He’s my best friend’s best guy friend. Caroline – the girl they kidnapped and tortured – helped me keep it secret that Tyler was a werewolf from our vampire friends so that they _wouldn’t_ kill him,” said Phoebe.

“If you didn’t kidnap him, then why did they kidnap your friend, and demand a trade?” Hayley asked.

“It’s a long story. Cliff notes version: Werewolf Jules came to town, met Tyler, and started filling his head with all that old-world vampires-are-our-mortal-enemy nonsense, turning him against the one true friend he had – Caroline. Caroline has been there to help him through all of this supernatural transitioning, since day one. She risked her own life to sit with him through his entire full moon – well, except for one point when he completely lost control and almost bit her. The only lies she told were to protect him from being killed by our one friend that believes in werewolf genocide, and to protect our vampire friends from Tyler. Eventually, once he became better adjusted, we were going to tell him the truth. But Jules didn’t give us that chance.

“Anyway, she confused Tyler so much, that when we tried to talk to him he freaked out and made her think that we were holding him hostage. That’s when she took Caroline...And we had every intention of a fair trade – well, at least two of us did – but they had other plans. Hayley, that entire pack believes all vampires should die. Now, I will fully agree that there are vampires out there that are real monsters, and deserve a stake through the heart; but they’re not all like that.”

“Of course you’d say that, you’re in love with one,” Hayley retorted.

“Yes, but make no mistake, I’m not one of those vampire groupies that’s waiting to be made immortal and live happily ever after with my vampire lover. Nothing lasts forever, especially relationships between immortals,” said Phoebe, in a mocking tone. Hayley still didn’t seem to believe her. “Believe what you want, Hayley, you’re going to anyway. You feel I broke my word, then tell everyone my secret. I’ll do my best to keep everything together. You still wanna join their pack, go ahead. But you could do better than a group of bigots.”

With that, Phoebe walked into the house, and closed the door, leaving Hayley to think about what she’d said.

Over at the Boarding House, Damon compels Andie to be in love with him, and makes sure she’s been compelled not to tell anyone that he’s a vampire. After she leaves, Rick drops by to see this magic dagger John gave to Damon that will supposedly kill an original. They both agree that they do _not_ trust John, so they can’t trust that this dagger thing will be able to take down Elijah. On another note, though, Damon’s decided to go to the Historical Society High Tea so he can finally meet Elijah properly.

Later at the Grill, Bonnie and Caroline have an early lunch together. Bonnie explains her plan to get information out of Luka about Elijah’s plan to kill Klaus. While they talk, Matt passes by, giving Caroline a cold look. Something neither Caroline nor Bonnie understand.

Meanwhile in the woods, the remaining werewolves get a surprise visitor. The first wolf Hayley saw was Jules.

“Hi. Are you Jules?” Hayley asked her, carefully approaching her.

Jules eyed her suspiciously, “Depends. Who’s asking?”

“My name’s Hayley. I heard your pack was coming to Mystic Falls,” said Hayley. She saw the unsettled look in Jules’ eyes, and added, “I’ve been on my own, pretty much, since I triggered my curse. I was just looking for a pack, when I heard the one in Florida was headed to Mystic Falls.”

“Heard from who?” Brady asked, rounding the corner of the camper, with Stevie.

“Just some werewolves I’ve met along the way,” Hayley answered.

“Why didn’t you wanna stay with any of them?” Jules asked.

“They weren’t really in a pack. They were mostly alone,” said Hayley.

Jules shared a look with Brady, “We could use more members, after last night.”

“What happened last night?” Hayley asked, pretending she didn’t already know.

“Vampires. Them and their little doppelganger friend killed the rest of the pack,” said Stevie.

“So, does that mean we’re leaving town?” Hayley asked. She had been assuming that was the case after everything that happened last night – that’s why she’d come to them still.

Jules shared another look with Brady, “Not exactly.”

“We need to find something called a moonstone,” said Brady.

“What’s a moonstone?” Hayley asked, genuinely confused.

“It’s a stone that helps break the sun and the moon curse,” said Stevie.

Hayley looked at him funny, “What’s that?”

“It’s an old curse placed on both vampires and werewolves,” said Jules.

“They’re free to walk in the sunlight, but we’re stuck only turning at the full moon, aka werewolf Armageddon,” Stevie added.

“But if we break it, they’re stuck as night-walkers, and we can turn whenever we want,” said Brady.

“Aka werewolf domination,” Stevie added.

“Wait, so if we can turn at will, doesn’t that mean we never have to turn again?” Hayley asked.

Jules nodded.

“So, what, we just need to find this stone?” Hayley asked.

“And the doppelganger,” said Stevie.

“How do you know who the doppelganger is?” Hayley asked.

“Mason had this vampire girlfriend – no one liked her – but last night a chick that looked an awful lot like her teamed up with the vampires,” said Stevie, pulling out his phone to show Hayley a picture.

Jules saw the questioning look on Hayley’s face, and explained, “Mason was our friend. He came her for his brother’s funeral, then stuck around to find the moonstone.”

Hayley looked at the photo on Stevie’s phone, and pretended to be shocked, “Wait, I know her. Her name’s Phoebe.”

“Do you know where we can find her?” Jules asked.

“Yeah. Do you think she has the moonstone?” replied Hayley.

“I don’t know, but at the very least she’s the doppelganger, and we need the doppelganger to break the curse,” said Brady.

Back at the Grill, Caroline tries talking to Matt, but he’s still cold to her. She persists, and finds out that he knows she lied about being with Bonnie last night, because Bonnie was at the Grill. Caroline is at a loss for words. She doesn’t want to lie, and even if she did no lie was coming to mind to be told. Matt returned to work, leaving Caroline to think about how she was going to fix this.

Meanwhile at the Gilbert House, Stefan and Elena leave for their romantic weekend getaway. Shortly after they leave, the werewolves arrive for Phoebe, but she’s already leaving the house with John. The wolves decide to split up. Brady and another wolf stay at the house to search for the moonstone, while Hayley and the others follow John and Phoebe.

They follow the pair to the Lockwood estate, where there are dozens of witnesses, so they’re forced to stake them out and wait for them to leave. Inside, John leaves Phoebe to do his own thing, while Phoebe begins searching for a corner to hide in. What she finds instead is a stunned Elijah – though he hid it well.

Phoebe was wearing the black cocktail dress that Jenna tricked her into buying several months earlier, with her black flats. Her hair was down and loose, but still neat. She wore a long-chained necklace – to play with when she got nervous – and her makeup was more prominent than normal, yet still subtle.

When Elijah saw her enter the room, he did a double-take. He may have done well to hide his awe, but it cost him an involuntary smile. And when Phoebe saw him, she returned his smile. Mrs. Lockwood – with whom he was talking – didn’t seem to notice his lack of attention towards her.

“Have you spent much time in Richmond for your book? There’s such a wealth of history there,” she asked Elijah.

“No. I’m focusing mostly on the smaller regions of Virginia. Lots of research, but it’s worth it,” replied Elijah, returning his attention to Carol. As Phoebe approached, he added, “Miss Gilbert’s been a great help in researching your town’s history.”

Carol smiled, “I’m glad to hear it.”

Phoebe smiled awkwardly, as the three stood there silently for a moment.

“Where are my manners? Miss Gilbert, may I get you a cup of tea?” Elijah asked.

“Oh, uh, I can get it myself,” said Phoebe.

“Nonsense. It’s no trouble. How do you take it?” Elijah asked.

“Straight. Thank you,” said Phoebe.

Elijah excused himself to retrieve her tea, and Phoebe smiled involuntarily to herself.

“I didn’t know you had it in you,” Carol remarked.

Phoebe looked at her, “Ma’am?”

“First Mr. Salvatore, now Mr. Smith,” she noted, smirking.

“Oh, no. No, it’s not like that...No...No,” said Phoebe, shaking her head.

Carol’s smirk spread, “That’s an awful lot of ‘no’s, Miss Gilbert. Be careful, or someone might think you mean the opposite.”

As she walked away from Phoebe, Rick appeared by her side, “What was that about?”

“Mrs. Lockwood just accused me of having a thing for Elijah,” said Phoebe.

Rick made a face, and was going to ask why she would think that, but he became distracted by Damon’s arrival. As soon as he stepped inside, Andie clung to his side, and he kissed her.

Rick looked at Phoebe – she saw it too, “You okay?”

“Honestly? Yes,” she replied.

Rick made another face, “Hmm. Maybe you do have a thing for Elijah.”

Phoebe nudged him, playfully, and they both smiled, “No, I’m the one that told Damon to call Andie.”

“Why would you do that?” Rick asked.

“Because he’s more bothered by Rose’s death than he’d care to admit, and there’s only two ways that Damon Salvatore knows how to relieve stress: killing, or sex – sometimes both. By encouraging him to pursue a relationship with Andie, he gets to relieve stress through sex instead of killing innocent people; _**and**_ he gets to practice being someone’s boyfriend – monogamously,” said Phoebe.

Rick smirked, “And the real reason appears. You just want him to use Andie to work out all the kinks, before he’s your boyfriend.”

Phoebe looked away, “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Rick laughed into his tea, and Elijah returned with Phoebe’s tea.

“Straight. As requested,” said Elijah, handing her a cup and saucer.

Phoebe smiled, “Thank you.”

Damon noticed Elijah bringing her tea, and a wave of jealousy washed over him. It seemed stupid to be bothered by something so trivial, but there was something about the way Elijah looked at Phoebe.

“Damon!” Carol called, waving him over. She walked back over to Phoebe, Elijah, and Rick. “Elijah, I want you to meet Damon Salvatore. His family is one of Mystic Falls’ Founding Families.”

“Such a pleasure to meet you,” said Damon, with his usual arrogantly-cocky grin.

Elijah looked like he wanted to slap that grin off of Damon’s face, but still managed to force a smile, “No. Pleasure’s mine.”

Phoebe and Rick hid behind their tea cups, as they watched the two forced themselves to be civil and shake hands.

Elsewhere, Stefan and Elena arrive at the Gilbert lakehouse. Elena jokes with Stefan that she doesn’t have the ability to invite him inside the lakehouse, that John is the only one who can do that. After making him sweat a little, she invites him in, and the two get settled in. Elena shares a few memories with Stefan, like when her father taught her how to fish on the dock in the back.

Back at the Grill, Bonnie give Luka a frozen coffee, spiked with a powerful witch roofie. When he collapses Anna, Caroline, and Jeremy help her carry him out of the Grill.

Back at the Lockwoods’, Damon and Elijah retreat somewhere more private to talk.

“What’s Damon doing with Elijah?” John asked Rick, as the two watched the two vampires enter the mayor’s old office.

“How would I know?” Rick replied.

“Because you’re his little helper,” said John.

Rick gave him a sarcastic smile, “If you say so, John.”

John smiled back, “I don’t think you should sleep over anymore. It’s inappropriate with children in the house. And that ring that Isobel gave you, that’s mine. I’m gonna want that back.”

Rick kept smiling, like he didn’t care, “You’re a dick.”

John didn’t deny it, as he walked away.

Meanwhile, in the mayor’s old office, Damon and Elijah have a little chat.

“What can I do for you, Damon?” Elijah asked.

“I was hoping we could have a word,” said Damon.

“I heard about your little werewolf problem last night,” said Elijah.

“I’m sure you did, since it was your witch that saved the day,” replied Damon.

“You are welcome.”

Damon ignored him and went on, “Which adds to my confusion on exactly why you’re here.”

Elijah gave a light smile, “Why don’t you just stay focused on keeping Phoebe’s sister safe, and leave the rest to me.”

Elijah tried to leave, but Damon blocked his path, “Not good enough.”

That was it for Elijah. He had enough of Damon’s attitude. He grabbed him by the throat, and pinned him against the wall. Damon tried to retaliate, but it had no effect. Elijah was too strong.

“You young vampires, so arrogant,” Elijah sneered. “How dare you come in here and challenge me?”

“You can’t kill me, man. It’s not part of the deal,” Damon wheezed.

“Silence,” Elijah commanded, shoving a wooden pencil into Damon’s throat. Damon cried out, and Elijah dropped him. He took out a handkerchief from his breast pocket, and cleaned the blood off of his hands. “I’m an original. Show a little respect.”

Elijah held out the handkerchief to Damon and he snatched it out of Elijah’s hand. As he held the handkerchief over his neck, Elijah continued to speak, “The deal you so fondly cling to as an excuse to do what you want, only extends so far, Damon. The deal states that the rest of you are to go about your lives, normally, while Phoebe and I work on developing her powers. Now, I realize you don’t trust me, but you don’t need to. The only person whose trust I need is Phoebe’s. And should you get in the way of our work, I will be forced to take action, and I guarantee you will not like it.”

Damon laughed, “Is that a threat? Because I’ve got news for you, if you kill me, your own weapon will turn against you. I’m too important for you to kill just for getting on your nerves.”

Elijah smiled, “Oh, there are other ways to get rid of you, without getting on Miss Gilbert’s bad side. I can have you locked away, until Klaus is dead. Or I could simply take her away from all of you, which might be preferable. I could take her somewhere with no distractions.”

“Phoebe would never agree to that,” Damon replied.

“Are you so sure about that?” Elijah asked, tauntingly. “She’s quite the logical girl, it wouldn’t be difficult to convince her it was for the best.”

Damon glared at Elijah, but said nothing. He made a very valid point. Elijah simply smiled, victoriously, as he left Damon alone with his thoughts. He decided to go outside for a breath of fresh air, before returning to schmoozing. Elijah was pleasantly surprised to find Phoebe had the same idea, and was sitting on the steps in the backyard.

“Mind if I join you?” he asked. Phoebe jumped a little. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“It’s okay, I was just lost in my own thoughts. Pretty easy to sneak up on me when that happens,” said Phoebe. She scooted over, so Elijah could sit with her.

“May I ask what you were thinking about?” he asked, sitting next to her.

“I was thinking about the next two elements,” she replied. “Finding a song or a memory to use for fire is no problem – everyone’s had times where they’re so angry they could break something – but finding something to use for air is hard. You said air is connected to emotions like boldness, and freedom.”

Elijah nodded, “Mhmm.”

“But I’ve never been either of those things,” said Phoebe.

“If I recall correctly, You were quite bold the day we met,” said Elijah.

“Yeah, I have a bad habit of being pretty bold with vampires. I don’t know why,” she replied. “But for an element like air the feeling of being free seems like the best emotion to focus on for that. I mean, just look at birds. They soar through the air, and they’re free.”

“You make an excellent point,” Elijah admitted. “Why do you feel you’ve never been free?”

“Because I never have been,” said Phoebe. “All my life I’ve been needed, and when you’re needed you aren’t free. When you’re needed, you have responsibilities.”

“Surely there’s been a time when you were free to do what you please,” said Elijah.

Phoebe shook her head, “Matt’s always needed me to be his best friend – there for him through thick and thin. My siblings and aunt needed me to be their rock, when our parents – who were actually our aunt and uncle that raised us as their own – died. My aunt that raised us wanted me to be more feminine and lady-like. Stefan and Damon need me to be the anchor that keeps Damon good. Everyone else needs me to be the one that figures everything out and always has the answers. And they all – whether they want to admit it or not – need me to be this weapon you say I am so I can destroy Klaus. No one’s every just wanted me around, because they like me the way I am – not because they need me to be something for them. Well, there was one instance, but even that was tainted.”

“How do you mean?”

“Damon was the first person to ever show any romantic interest in me. He also made me feel attractive the way I am. But I still have to dull my intelligence around him, because he doesn’t some of the things I say. He definitely won’t understand any sci-fi references I think of making at times,” she explained.

“So you still have to hide who you are from him. Pretend to be something you’re not,” Elijah guessed.

“Exactly,” said Phoebe. “There’s also Katherine...Damon was only taken with me in the beginning, because I look like her. I mean, he doesn’t see her when he looks at me, anymore, but now there’s the need for me to be some kind of anchor that keeps him grounded.”

“I see,” said Elijah, thoughtfully.

“I’m sorry. We don’t even have to worry about that for a while, because I think my next element it going to be fire,” said Phoebe.

“You’ve shown signs of fire element?” Elijah asked.

Phoebe nodded, excitedly, and told him what happened last night, when she was talking to Tyler.

Later at the Gilbert lakehouse, Stefan cooks, while Elena watches from the couch. She tells him that her mother used to do the same thing, when her dad would cook – her mother couldn’t cook either.

After more exploring around the house, the pair find a hidden room through her parents’ closet. The room was filled with weapons fit for killing vampires, and the rest of Johnathan Gilbert’s old journals. All of it coming as a great shock to Elena.

Meanwhile, Bonnie prepares herself to go searching through Luka’s mind at Caroline’s house. When they have a moment alone, Caroline tells Bonnie she’s noticed the way she’s begun to look at Jeremy – it’s obvious she likes him. Bonnie doesn’t deny it, but she does point out that he’s dating Anna, who isn’t likely to be going anywhere, anytime soon. Even then, it’s weird, because he’s her bests friend’s little brother.

Meanwhile at the Boarding House, Damon, Phoebe, and Rick sit in the library talking.

“Today was a bust,” Damon complained.

“Throat still sore?” Phoebe asked.

Damon looked at her funny. How did she know what happened in that office?

“Elijah told me,” said Phoebe, as though reading his mind.

“Yeah, that Elijah’s one scary dude, but with nice hair,” said Rick.

Damon looked at Rick with furrowed eyebrows.

“I think he’d look better with a haircut...and a tie. Ooh! No, a three-piece suit,” said Phoebe. She didn’t appear to be talking to anyone in particular – more likely thinking out loud. “Not many men can pull off a three-piece suit, but he definitely could.”

Damon’s eyes narrowed, and he had to do his best _**not**_ to break the glass in his hand.

Rick noticed this, and stood up, “You want another one?”

Damon handed him his glass. It was better if he wasn’t holding something he could break so easily, and he could definitely use another drink.

Phoebe hopped up, “I’m gonna practice making bubbles in my fancy new bathtub.”

“You’re staying here tonight?” Damon asked.

“Yyyeeessss? Is there a problem with that?” Phoebe replied.

“Nope,” said Damon. “Just wondering.”

Phoebe looked at him suspiciously, then headed upstairs to her room.

When she was out of hearing range, Damon sighed, “He’s gonna be hard to kill.”

“Yeah,” Rick agreed. “I’d think twice before I’d trust that dagger and some ashes to do the job. You’re gonna need more info.”

“I’m outta sources,” said Damon.

Rick grunted, then told him, “I gotta go. I gotta pick up Jenna. Just, please, don’t kill the news chick. She and Jenna are friends, and it’s bad enough that I’m lying to her about everything else. I hate the lies.”

Damon reclined in his seat, propping his hands behind his head.

“Don’t worry, I’ll, uh, show myself out,” said Rick, heading out.

A moment later, and there was a loud crashing sound that came from the hall. Damon hopped up to see what was going on, and found Rick with a knife sticking out of his stomach. The next thing he knew, he was being attacked by one of the surviving wolves. He injected Damon with a syringe full of vervain – it took the whole thing to bring Damon down.

Phoebe heard all the commotion from upstairs, even over the sounds of her running bath water. She was still wearing her black cocktail dress, as she raced for her phone. She wasn’t alarmed enough to warrant calling Elijah, but she still took a precaution to text Stefan:

“ _Something might be up at the boarding house. If you don’t hear back from me soon, call Elijah.”_

After hitting send, Phoebe hid her phone under Marvin on the bed. Mere seconds later, wolves were breaking through her bedroom door. One of them was Hayley. They grabbed her and brought her downstairs to the library, where Stevie was in the process of chaining Damon to a chair by the fireplace. Along the way, Phoebe saw Rick’s lifeless body laying in the hallway, as well as a couple of other wolves standing guard outside the front door.

Meanwhile at the Gilbert house, John and Jenna argue about her letting Elena go away with Stefan for the weekend. John doesn’t like the idea of his teenage daughter spending the weekend alone with a boy. Jenna tells him Elena just wanted to get away from him for a while, as does she – which is why she’ll be staying at Rick’s for a while. John bit his tongue, and walked away.

Back at the Boarding House, Stevie’s finished chaining Damon to the chair, and putting on some kind of obedience collar with wooden spikes. Unfortunately, Damon is still unconscious.

“What are you still doing here? Elijah told you to leave,” Phoebe asked.

“And we will. Once you tell us where the moonstone is,” said Jules.

Phoebe made a funny face, “Have you tried Amazon? I hear moonstone rings are becoming a thing, since the Twilight movies. You know, because Bella has a moonstone ring.”

Jules smiled in annoyance, “You’re funny. But I have a feeling you know exactly what I’m talking about.”

Phoebe made a face and shook her head.

“Fine. You wanna play it that way? Two can play that game. And I’m pretty sure I’ll win,” said Jules, walking over to the fireplace.

“Who’s playing a game? I told you where you could buy some moonstone,” said Phoebe.

“You know, I was waiting for your little friend here to wake up, so I could ask him; but I think you might have a looser tongue than him,” she said, her back to Phoebe.

“Is that so?” Phoebe asked, uncaringly.

Jules said nothing in response. She simply gave a look to one of the wolves, who signaled the two wolves that were nearest Phoebe. They grabbed her, and bent her over an ottoman – facing the fireplace. Jules turned around holding a red-hot poker. Phoebe instantly became serious. Who was she planning to stick with that?

“Wait, a minute, I thought you said you needed the doppelganger to break the curse,” Hayley spoke up.

“She’ll have time to heal before the sacrifice,” said Jules.

“Sacrifice?” Hayley questioned.

“The doppelganger has to die to break the curse,” said Stevie, casually. “What did you think we were gonna do with her?”

“She has powers, I thought you needed her cast the spell, or something,” said Hayley.

Stevie laughed, and Jules continued to walk around towards Phoebe’s backside.

“Wait. Wait!” Phoebe cried. The poker was so close to one of the bare parts of her back, she could feel the heat wafting from it. “The curse isn’t even real. It was made up by a cursed vampire, 500 years ago.”

Jules laughed, dropping the poker away from her back, “Did you really think I would fall for that? How gullible do you think we are?”

Phoebe’s heart was racing “It’s the truth.”

“Nice try,” said Jules, raising the poker again.

“Stop!” Hayley objected, stepping forward. “You can’t just torture her. What if she’s been compelled not to say anything about the moonstone? She hangs out with a lot of vampires, she could very easily be compelled.”

“Or she could just be lying. There’s only one way to find out,” Jules argued. She pressed the poker to Phoebe’s back, and Phoebe screamed in pain.

The pain was excruciating, but brief. Hayley snatched the poker away from Jules and pushed her away from Phoebe. The other wolves pounced on Hayley, restraining her.

Hayley fought to get out of their grip, “This isn’t right! If you do this, you’re no better than they are!”

Jules ignored her, as she retrieved the poker, “Where’s the moonstone?”

Phoebe knew she couldn’t tell her, nor could she use her powers to get her out of this. They wolves had prepared for that. The one that tied Damon had a stake to his chest. If Phoebe even so much as thought about using her powers to get her out of this, Damon would die. So she just had to hold out until Elijah got there, and hopefully he’d arrive soon. Since Phoebe said nothing in response, Jules pressed the poker to Phoebe’s back and held it there. Phoebe screamed, and tears began to fill her eyes.

Meanwhile at the Gilbert lakehouse, Stefan leaves Elena to go through her family’s vampire-hunting secrets. He grabs his phone to call Phoebe and tell her what they’d just found, but finds a Phoebe’s disconcerting text waiting for him instead. He checks the time of the text, and compares it to the current time. Phoebe sent the text almost thirty minutes ago. Stefan tried calling her, his heart rate increasing with each unanswered ring. When he finally reached her voicemail, he hung up and called Elijah, as requested.

Elijah arrived at the Salvatore Boarding House mere minutes after Stefan called him. He was horrified by the scene awaiting him in the library. Phoebe was slumped over the ottoman, completely exhausted. If Jules were to poke her again, it was doubtful she’d have the energy to even scream.

“You know, I could’ve sworn my associate told you to leave town,” said Elijah, stepping down into the library.

All wolves snapped their attention towards him. Jules, who was heating the poker back up in the fire place, replied, “We know you’re planning to break the curse. Give us the moonstone, or your friend here gets a stake through the heart.”

Elijah stared her down, “You see, that’s your problem. You don’t bother getting all of the fact, before you pick a fight. That boy means nothing to me. This poor girl you’ve tortured, on the other hand...Well, let’s just say you’ve made a grave mistake in harming her.”

And with that, Elijah flitted about the room, tearing the hearts out of every wolf he could get his hands on. They tried to fight back, but they were no match for an original. The wolves holding Hayley released her to fight back, and Hayley ran to Phoebe’s side. Jules ran away – discovering Elijah had already killed Brady and the other wolf standing guard outside, as she ran.

After killing the others, Elijah turned on Hayley.

“Don’t!” Phoebe called. “She wasn’t part of this.”

Elijah released her, and bent down to Phoebe’s side. He rolled up his sleeve, bit into his wrist, and held it to Phoebe’s lips. Phoebe drank his blood more eagerly than she’d meant to. All she could think about was making this pain go away, and healing the wounds. But as Elijah watched her back, the burns simply finished turning into burn scars, rather than disappearing entirely. He tried letting her drink more of his blood to see if they would go away, but they only stayed.

Elijah pulled his arm away from Phoebe, and handed her a handkerchief for her mouth.

“Thank you,” said Phoebe. She said it to both of them.

“How do you feel?” Elijah asked.

“Better. Pretty sore, but better than a few minutes ago,” she replied. She saw the solemn look on Elijah’s face. “What is it? What happened?”

“The heat from the poker cauterized the wounds on your back. They were already fairly healed, before you drank my blood,” he began.

Phoebe didn’t like the sound of this. She swallowed hard, “What are you saying?”

“...Your back is permanently scared....I’m sorry,” said Elijah.

Phoebe stared off into space, silently. She had no idea what to say, much less what to think. Jules had scared her for life, literally.

Damon began to stir in his chair, groaning groggily.

Phoebe’s initial reaction was to hop up and help free him, but the moment she stood up, she became light-headed. Hayley, caught her, and set her down on the couch. Elijah walked over to Damon and ripped off his chains. He stopped at Phoebe on his way out, but he didn’t know what to say. He tried to say something, but words eluded him – like they often did when she was around.

He began to just leave, but Phoebe stood up and stopped him. She grabbed his hand, and he looked at her, “Don’t tell anyone. Please.”

She looked back at Hayley, as though making the same request of her, too. Hayley nodded.

“Of course,” said Elijah. He lingered, waiting for her to release his hand, rather than pull it away. When she did, he took off.

Phoebe turned back to Hayley, “Okay, while he’s still groggy, I need you to run up to my room and grab me a pair of pajamas out of my wardrobe. I need to change before he gets too awake and sees my back.”

Hayley was confused as to why she was asking her for help, but did it anyway. She ran upstairs, grabbed the clothes, and ran back down. Phoebe walked out of the room for a moment, changed, then sent Hayley back up to return her dress to her room. This way, she could tell Damon she was already undressed when the wolves came in and attacked him, and she threw on her pajamas, while she called Elijah.

While the three of them work together to clean up the death werewolves in the library, Bonnie finds what she’s looking for in Luka’s mind. Someone anonymously left a file at their doorstep saying that the anomaly will either burn out from the amount of power required to destroy an original, or become an unstoppable force. The only way to avoid it is to attack when Klaus is in a weakened state – which requires him to go through with the sacrifice.

Bonnie calls Damon to tell him what she found, while Rick – who’s finally woken up – calls Jenna to apologize for not picking her up. He tells her that he fell asleep grading papers, and promises to make it up to her tomorrow night.

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Hayley thanks Phoebe for not letting Elijah kill her, and tells her she should probably get going.

“Where will you go?” Phoebe asked.

Hayley shrugged, “Look for another pack, I guess. Hopefully one that has morals of some kind.”

Phoebe smiled, “You could stay here, in Mystic Falls.”

“With a vampire that thinks all werewolves should die? No, thanks.”

“I promise he won’t hurt you. I won’t let him,” said Phoebe. “Trust me. Damon’s seen my bad side, and he knows he never wants to be there again. Especially not now that I’ve got these nifty little powers.”

Hayley laughed, “Even if I did stay, _where_ would I stay?”

“With me,” said Phoebe. “We supernatural creatures have to stick together.”

Hayley laughed again, “Before give any answer, tell me one thing: how often do you stay here?”

“Not often at all,” said Phoebe.

Hayley looked doubtful, “You have your own room here.”

“Yeah, that’s new,” said Phoebe. “My sister’s boyfriend lives here – he and Damon are brothers – and so does my brother’s girlfriend – three vampires total. Anyway, I used to spend the night here, fairly often, always sleeping on the couch in the library. Damon finally decided to just make me a room to stay in when I stay here. It’s really not that often. But even then, it doesn’t mean you have to come, too.”

Hayley thought for a moment, then sighed, “I guess I could stick around a little bit longer.”

Phoebe smiled, “Groovy.”

When they were all done cleaning up, Rick went home, Damon called Stefan, and the girls got ready for bed. Hayley left to get what few things she had, while Phoebe finally took her bath. Damon told his brother what happened with the wolves, and that Phoebe was fine, as well as what Bonnie had found out from Luka.

When Stefan told Elena about her possibly being sacrificed, she was surprised for a brief moment. The more she thought about it, the more it made sense, and the more okay she was with it. Stefan was furious with her willingness to die in the sacrifice if she had to, but Elena was willing to do whatever it took to keep her sister from dying instead. If it came down to one of them having to die, she’d gladly give her life for her sister.

Elsewhere, Caroline returns Luka to the Grill, where he’ll have no memory of Bonnie reading his mind. Tyler Packs a bag, and writes a note for his mother. He’s decided to leave town with Jules. He stops by Caroline’s to see her one last time, but doesn’t let her know he’s there. He then drops by the Grill to say goodbye to Matt. He admits he has fallen for Caroline, but how could he blame him? Caroline is an amazing girl. But she deserves better than him. She deserves someone like Matt. His last words to his old friend, before leaving town with Jules, are to be good to Caroline.

Later that night, at the Boarding House, Hayley wakes up to the sound of Phoebe’s shower running. When she goes to investigate, she finds Phoebe sitting fully clothed on the floor of the shower, just letting the water run over her.

Hayley opened the door, “Phoebe? What are you doing?”

Phoebe wiped tear from her cheeks – something Hayley only now noticed, because of the running water mixing with the tears, “The shower keep any vampires from eavesdropping.”

Hayley looked at her, sadly.

“I don’t know why I’m so upset. I’m usually so good at keeping it together,” Phoebe said, laughing at herself.

Hayley knelt down in front of her, “Phoebe, you were tortured, and left permanently scarred. You’re more than allowed to be upset, you’re encouraged.”

Phoebe looked at her, still trying to fight the tears, but eventually gave in. She buried her face in her arms and cried away. Hayley moved to sit next to her, and held her new friend. This was the moment that sealed a lifelong friendship between the two girls.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize if Phoebe being tortured was too dark for some of you, but I felt that Phoebe couldn’t escape unscathed forever. Everyone else ends up with scars or is forced to undergo some kind of torture that someone – usually Phoebe – has to help them get through. I don’t really remember how the idea came to me, but it did and I liked it, so I went with it. Again, I apologize to those of you who may have found it too much or too dark.
> 
> So the next chapter is the dinner party where they try to dagger Elijah. Will they succeed? Or will Phoebe stop them? Who was the anonymous person to leave the file about Phoebe dying if she tries to kill Klaus? Is there any truth to it? Or just someone trying to stop Phoebe from further developing her powers? How will Phoebe learn to control air if she doesn’t know what freedom feels like? Will Phoebe figure Klaus out before the dance? Will Katherine warn him about Phoebe?
> 
> What do you guys think so far? What do you think will happen next? What do you hope to see in the future?


	37. The Dinner Party

Chapter 37: The Dinner Party

The morning after Jules and Tyler left town, Elena is still reading her ancestor's journals While she does that, Stefan stands outside on the dock, staring at his phone. He's typed the word 'Lollipop' into a conversation with Phoebe, but hasn't sent it. His finger hovers over the 'send' button, as he debates whether or not to send it.

After everything that Damon told him last night, and what Elena had volunteered to do...Stefan could use a one of his talks with Phoebe She was always honest with him, and if any of what Damon said was true, she'd tell him. But what if Damon hadn't told her about any of that yet? What if she didn't know she'd either have to burn out, or lose her sister? If Damon hadn't said anything yet, then Stefan shouldn't say a word. At least, not over the phone.

Meanwhile at the Salvatore Boarding House, Phoebe stood out on her balcony, staring at her phone – just like Stefan was – debating whether or not to text him their code word. After everything she went through last night, she wanted more than anything to talk to Stefan. But this wasn't something to be discussed over the phone; especially where Damon could so easily eavesdrop. If Damon heard about what happened, he'd become so enraged he'd hunt Jules down and rip her heart out. Bottom line, he'd be more concerned with getting vengeance than actually being there for her, and that's not what Phoebe needed.

Phoebe erased the text, and put her phone away. She walked over to her bed and nudged Hayley awake. Hayley groaned.

"I'm sorry to have to wake you, but I have to go out for a little while and I thought you might prefer to stay at my house, instead of here with at least two other vampires," said Phoebe.

Hayley groaned again, but sat up, anyway. Phoebe was right. She'd rather not be left here with vampires without Phoebe around to make sure they left her alone.

"Here's my house key," said Phoebe, handing the key over. "And I've already told my family you're going to be staying with us for a while."

Hayley nodded, sleepily.

"Uh, my room is the one with the purple walls, and books and art stuff all over the place," said Phoebe. Hayley nodded again, and Phoebe headed for the door.

"Hey," Hayley called. Phoebe stopped and turned back. "Thanks. For everything. I really appreciate it."

Phoebe smiled and gave a single nod, then proceeded out the door. She stopped at Damon's room, on her way out – she had something to tell him, before she left. When she reached his room, she caught the tail end of a conversation he was having with Stefan.

The conversation had been about hearing that Tyler ran away from home last night, leaving only one werewolf in Mystic Falls – but she was off-limits, according to Phoebe – so now they were free to focus on killing Elijah.

The only part of the conversation Phoebe heard was, "Gotta run. I have a murder to plan. Busy day."

"I hope you're not talking about Hayley," said Phoebe.

Damon spun around, "Of course not. I was just joking around with Stefan."

"Damon, I mean it, I don't want you to kill her. I like her. And she saved my life, while you were unconscious," Phoebe reminded him.

"I know, I know. The wolves wanted to torture you for information, and she stopped them. I know. And that's exactly why I'm not gonna touch her," he replied, with his usual grin. "So long as she returns the courtesy on full moons, we'll be fine."

Phoebe didn't return his look of amusement. The closest she came was a corner of her mouth twitched upwards.

Damon furrowed his eyebrows, "You okay?"

"Fine. Just tired," Phoebe lied, forcing a smile. Damon could tell it was forced, but didn't get the chance to push the issue. Phoebe headed for the door, "Have a good day, Damon."

A short time later, Phoebe met up with Elijah. The purpose of their meeting was another training session, disguised as a research trip for his book. To keep up the rouse, the two still headed for the old Fell properties to train.

"The old Fell property actually starts just beyond that fence," said Phoebe, as the two walked together.

"Ah, the Fells – one of the 'Founding Families'," Elijah remarked.

"Why do you say it like that?" Phoebe asked.

Elijah smiled, "This area was actually settled almost two full centuries earlier. It was a migration of townsfolk from the Northeast."

"Really?" she asked, intrigued.

"Mhmm. Salem, to be precise," said Elijah.

"Salem? As in the Witch Trials?"

Elijah's smile grew, "Which means the ever lauded Founding Families...didn't actually found anything."

Phoebe smiled, and shook her head, "Well, I bet it was the men who insisted on being called 'The Founders'. No offense, but men are very territorial."

Elijah stopped in his tracks, and stared off at someone approaching them, "Yes, they are."

Phoebe stopped, too, and followed his gaze. When she saw who it was, she became slightly annoyed.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"I knew you'd be here training with Elijah, so I thought I'd come see what you can do," said John, looking Elijah over.

Elijah looked at John with just as much annoyance as when he looked at Damon, "Phoebe works better without an audience. She gets nervous."

"Is that so?" John replied.

"It is," Elijah confirmed.

"Well, I came all this way to see her work, so-"

Phoebe grabbed her father's arm, and pulled him aside, "Look, I know you're curious, and that you don't trust him, but I really do work better without an audience. I get nervous enough with Elijah staring me down, I don't need to be distracted by your snarky comments towards Elijah, or the awkward tension between you two. So can you please just go?"

John looked over at Elijah once again, then did as his daughter requested – though he didn't want to. Neither of them spoke again, until John was gone.

"You know, I was surprised to hear that you still wanted to train today, given what you went through last night," Elijah remarked.

"Well, I'd prefer not to sit around feeling sorry for myself all day," Phoebe replied.

"That's a healthy attitude," Elijah noted.

Phoebe nodded, "Thank you, by the way. Not just for last night, but for not asking me if I was okay, or 'how are you feeling'."

"Well, it would be a rather stupid thing to ask, given that no one would be okay after what you went through last night," he said. "It's also quite evident how you're feeling...You're angry. Annoyed with everyone around you."

"Not everyone," Phoebe corrected. "I'm not annoyed with Hayley or you."

"We're strangers to you, compared to everyone else. You're annoyed with those who would comfort you in your time of need," said Elijah.

"I'm annoyed with those who would look at me like I'm some kind of wounded animal, and pity me," Phoebe corrected. Elijah smiled. "What?"

"I was afraid I was going to have to make you angry for this lesson," he told her. "I want you to focus on the annoyance you feel towards everyone, and let it make you angry. You won't be able to manipulate fire without it."

Phoebe bowed her head, "Yes, Sensei."

Elijah took a coin out of his pocket and placed it on a nearby tree stump, "I want you to heat up this coin with your mind."

Phoebe stared at the coin, and focused her mind. She tried focusing on how annoyed she was with everyone's lack of trust towards Elijah, and imagined how they would all pity her if they knew what really happened last night; but it wasn't enough. Mere annoyance wasn't enough to make her angry. So she began to think about last night itself. She thought back to Jules and that fire poker. She thought about her permanently scared back, and began to grow very angry.

Phoebe became angrier than she'd ever been before in her life, and it was evident from what she did to the coin. She heated the coin so much it turned red, then white, then it melted away altogether. Elijah opened his mouth to praise her, but stop short when he noticed something odd. There was a beam of sunlight moving towards the stump. When it reached the stump the beam became finer, like when focused through a magnifying glass. Within seconds the stump was on fire.

Elijah looked at her, mildly nervous, "Phoebe?"

Phoebe didn't respond. Her mind was too busy racing with images from last night.

Elijah stepped closer to Phoebe, and placed a hand on her shoulder, "Phoebe, that's enough."

Phoebe snapped back into the present, and the flames went out. A moment later, Elijah retracted his hand, and suggested they take a break. Phoebe nodded her head in agreement, and began composing herself.

Meanwhile at the Grill, Bonnie has a run-in with Luka. He asks her what happened yesterday, but she feigns ignorance. He tells her all he remembers is setting up to shoot pool with her, and then waking up in a bathroom stall. Bonnie still claims that nothing funny happened, but Luka doesn't believe her. He pushes her to tell him what really happened, but Jeremy and Anna step in, forcing him to leave Bonnie alone.

Back at the Gilbert Lakehouse, Elena is still reading Johnathan Gilbert's journals when Stefan finally comes inside. Elena asks if he's still angry with her. He is, but changes the topic, asking what Johnathan Gilbert has to say. Elena shows him what she most recently read about him and Damon getting revenge on the Founding Families for what they did to Katherine. Stefan tells her the story of the monster he was back then – admitting that he was worse than Damon.

Over at the Gilbert House, Hayley wanders around exploring. She glances into every room – not to be a snoop, but to make a mental note of what rooms are where. She notes the obvious living room and kitchen downstairs, as well as a makeshift bedroom where the dining room should be.

Upstairs, she finds Phoebe's room almost immediately, but waits to explore it last. She glances into Jenna's room, Jeremy's, Elena's, and the bathroom. After that she heads into Phoebe's room to do some real exploring – to get to know this strangely kind girl better.

From the books that Phoebe was reading, Hayley could tell that she was smart and well-read. From the artwork strewn about, Hayley could tell that she was creative and very talented. And based on the numerous graphic t-shirts in the closet, Phoebe was obviously a bit of a nerd. As Hayley looked around more, she came to see that Phoebe was a kindred spirit. She had no particular sense of style – she wore whatever she felt like – and she didn't have a lot of makeup or hair products lying around. In short, there were things more important to Phoebe than looking pretty.

When she was done exploring she decided to get out for a while – she felt weird being in someone else's home without them there. On her way down the stairs, though, she was halted by a returning John.

John eyed her suspiciously, "You must be Hayley, Phoebe's new friend."

"And you must be...?"

"John. I'm Phoebe's uncle," he answered, extending a hand.

Hayley shook it, "Right. The uncle that's actually her dad."

John looked at her funny. He hadn't expected Phoebe to tell a complete stranger something like that. John took his hand back and decided to ask her something more important than that, "So, Hayley, last time I saw you, you looked like you wanted to kill Phoebe. How did you go from that to being invited to live with us, in such a short time?"

Hayley was about answer when she had a sudden realization. She and Phoebe hadn't taken the time o discus what her family did and didn't know. She'd mentioned once before that certain family members and friends knew about the supernatural, but not all of them did. Which ones did, and which ones didn't?

"I was just having a bad day," Hayley lied.

John gave her one of his piercing looks that made you uncomfortable, "There's no need to lie, Hayley, I know what you are. And I know you helped save my daughter from being tortured by those other wolves."

"If you know all that, then why did you ask me how we became friends so quickly?" Hayley wondered.

"I didn't. I asked you how you went from looking at her like you wanted to kill her to being invited to live here so quickly," John corrected. "Yes, you saved her from being tortured – and I'm eternally grateful – but that doesn't necessarily warrant an invitation into our home."

Hayley shrugged, "Phoebe didn't want me to leave town. I told her I didn't have anywhere to stay in Mystic Falls, and she invited me to stay with her. Since I don't really have anywhere else to go, I agreed to stay."

"There's plenty of room at the Salvatore Boarding House," John suggested.

Now it was Hayley's turn to look at him with suspicion, "And which one of us are you hoping kills the other? Me...or the vampire she's in love with?"

John gave a light laugh, "I won't pretend I like her having a werewolf for a friend, much less inviting it to live with us. I like it even less that she's fallen in love with a 200 year old vampire. But I'll tell you what I told Damon, when I gave him my blessing to pursue my daughter: if you hurt her in _**any**_ way, I _**will**_ kill you myself."

Hayley wanted to say something equally threatening back, but bit her tongue. John was just trying to protect his daughter, because he loved her. Something Hayley had never had. She took a deep breath and nodded in acknowledgement, "I understand."

"Good. Welcome to Mystic Falls, Hayley," said John. He flashed a smile, and entered his room, closing the door behind him.

A short time later, Hayley arrived at the Mystic grill for lunch; where Jenna, Rick, Damon, and Andie were already sitting together.

"That's her," said Jenna, noticing Hayley's entrance. "That's the new girl I was telling you about."

"Oh, yeah. I've seen her around," said Rick, taking a look.

"Didn't she just get to town a few days ago?" Andie asked.

"Yep, and Phoebe's already invited her to stay with us," Jenna replied.

"Wait, I thought you said Phoebe was the quiet one that couldn't talk to a stranger if her life depended on it," said Andie.

"I know, it's weird! I've never seen her take to anyone this quickly, before," said Jenna. "She didn't even take to Damon this quickly."

Damon thought back to the early days when they were laying the foundation for their relationship. He thought about the second time they ever met – when he thought she was Elena – and smiled to himself.

"But what's even more amazing is how quickly she's taken to Elijah," Jenna went on.

"That's right. You said they were becoming fast friends," said Andie.

"Oh, it's more than that," said Jenna, grinning. That got Damon's attention. Jenna leaned closer to Andie, "They had a date the first night they met."

Damon choked on his bourbon and shot Rick a look.

Rick laughed nervously, "Well, now, it wasn't technically a date."

"It was the closest she's ever come to a real date," Jenna argued. "Besides, it might as well have been a date."

Damon tried calming himself by thinking that maybe Phoebe used it as an excuse to talk to Elijah away from her family, so he couldn't hurt them and so they couldn't overhear anything; but what Jenna said next shattered that delusion to pieces.

"They ate dinner alone together, they had wine –which he brought to go along with their meal – they talked, they laughed...it was a real date," said Jenna. Andie swooned over the thought.

Damon's grip tightened around his glass, and it began to crack.

"Did he kiss her?" Andie asked, excitedly.

This was it. Damon was about to lose his cool.

Jenna gave a disappointed sigh, "No...but he's so perfect for her, Andie, it's unreal. I mean, I always thought Matt was the perfect guy for her, because he was so good at looking past all of her weirdness and loving her anyway; but Elijah seems to like her weirdness."

Rick tried changing the topic, but Jenna and Andie only ignored him. Damon did everything in his power not to let his imagination and insecurities get the better of him. He was thankful to see Phoebe when she walked into the Grill, but that only lasted for a moment. Elijah entered right behind her.

Without even realizing it, Phoebe and Elijah began walking towards the group. They were so caught up in one another, they didn't even notice the group until they heard the sound of shattering glass. Damon had finally grown so jealous that he shattered the glass in his hand. Everyone's head snapped around to see the source of the shattering sound.

"I'm gonna go find a busboy," Jenna volunteered, getting up from the table.

Phoebe and Elijah approached the table.

"Boy, they sure don't make those glasses like they used to, huh?" Phoebe joked. Everyone but Damon gave a small smile. "So what were you guys talking about to make Damon angry enough to break his glass?"

"Don't worry about it," Damon replied. He gave Phoebe a glance, then entered a staring contest with Elijah.

Phoebe watched the two of them stare at one another, until Jenna returned.

"Phoebe. Elijah," said Jenna, noticing them. "How was the tour of the old properties?"

"It was fine," said Phoebe.

"Very informative," said Elijah. "Phoebe is quite knowledgeable for a girl her age. No offense."

"None taken," Phoebe told him.

"That's Phoebe for you," said Jenna, smiling. "Hey, why don't you two join us for lunch?"

"No!" Phoebe replied. It was more objective than she meant it to be, and everyone looked at her funny. "I mean...we have a lot more properties to look at today. We're just here to grab something to go."

"Another time, perhaps," Elijah added.

"Why not tonight?" Jenna asked. "We could all get together for dinner."

"Ooh! We could have a dinner party," Andie suggested.

Damon hated the thought initially, but then realized the opportunity it presented for him. This would be the perfect opportunity to get Elijah alone and kill him. Damon smiled up at the pair, "That's a great idea. I'll host!"

Elijah looked at Phoebe, waiting for any sign of what she wanted, before answering himself. Phoebe did the same. She could tell from Elijah's expression that he'd do whatever she wanted, and she was about to decline, but something caught her attention. Damon looked a little too eager to have them over for dinner tonight. There could be only one reason for that. He was obviously up to something, she just didn't know what. But there was only one way to find out.

"Only if I get to cook," Phoebe replied.

Jenna held up her hands in surrender, "No argument, here. You're the best cook in this town."

"I'll stop at the store, when we're finished for the day," said Phoebe.

"Here," said Damon, pulling out his wallet. He handed Phoebe his credit card. "Get whatever you need for dinner tonight, on me."

"That's very generous of you," said Elijah.

"Well, I am the host," Damon replied.

Phoebe rolled her eyes, and walked away. Elijah lingered for a moment to politely excuse himself, then followed Phoebe.

After lunch, Damon paid a visit to Katherine in the tomb. He wanted to know if the dagger John gave him would really work on Elijah. Katherine's reaction is confirmation enough for him. She begs Damon not to kill Elijah, claiming that if he dies she's stuck in the tomb for eternity. Damon, however, just sees this as an added bonus.

Back at the Gilbert Lakehouse, Stefan continues his story of one of the darkest times of his life. He tells Elena about how he met Lexi, and how they became friends. Lexi came to Mysti Falls because she'd heard that it was a safe place for vampires to go, but stayed to help Stefan. She refused to let him give up on his life, and taught him how to feel.

Later that afternoon, Phoebe excused herself from her training session with Elijah – earlier than she'd have liked – to get ready for their dinner party at the Salvatore Boarding House. She stopped at home, before going to the grocery store, to let Hayley know she was going to be out for longer than she thought.

"You can come with me, if you want," Phoebe offered.

"To the grocery store?" Hayley asked.

"Well, that too," said Phoebe. "I was actually talking about the dinner party."

"Hmm, let's see. Do I want to go to an extremely awkward dinner party with you, your aunt, your aunt's boyfriend/step-father-"

Phoebe cringed, "Really weird, when you say it like that."

Hayley ignored her comment, and continued on, "The vampire you're in love with, his girlfriend, and the original vampire that's got a thing for you."

Phoebe made a face, "Elijah doesn't have a thing for me."

"Oh, he definitely has a thing for you," Hayley argued, smiling.

"He does not," Phoebe argued back.

Hayley laughed, "He does too! You just don't wanna see it, because you've got tunnel vision on that other guy."

"Okay, first of all, his name is Damon. And secondly...do you want to come tonight, or not?" Phoebe asked.

Hayley laughed again, then replied, "Sure. If it'll help make things less awkward for you, I'll come."

Phoebe's eyes lit up, "Really? Oh, my God, thank you. I owe you one."

"You don't owe me anything. Friends don't owe each other, they do things for one another because that's what friends do," said Hayley. "Right?"

Phoebe smiled, "Right."

The two girls headed downstairs, but Phoebe stopped at the landing in the middle and turned back, "Oh, just one more thing. Damon seemed a little too eager for this dinner party, so stay sharp, because he's probably up to something."

Hayley gave her a nod, and the two left for the store. John, who had heard what Phoebe said on the stairs, decided then and there to invite himself to the dinner party.

Phoebe and Hayley did their shopping with Damon's card, and headed for the Boarding house. Hayley helped Phoebe in the kitchen, while Jenna and Andie set the table, and Damon and Rick talked in the library. Rick wanted to make sure Damon wasn't planning to try and kill Elijah that night, because he didn't want anything to happen to Jenna. Damon swore he wasn't, though he secretly was – instructing Andie to suggest the men have drinks in the library after dinner, while the women have coffee in the kitchen.

As Phoebe and Hayley finished up in the kitchen, someone arrived at the door. Jenna answers it to find John standing there, rather than Elijah. She's less than pleased to see him, but doesn't question it, because she assumes Phoebe invited him. Damon, on the other hand, asks him why he's there, and learns that he overheard Phoebe talking to Hayley about the dinner party, and didn't want to miss out on whatever fun games Damon had planned for Elijah. Rick tells him there are no games tonight, which he doesn't believe.

Meanwhile at the Gilbert House, Jeremy has invited Bonnie over to hang out for the evening. Bonnie, who was expecting to be hanging out with both him and Anna, is surprised to find that Anna isn't there. Jeremy tells her she had something she had to do at the Boarding house that night, so it's just going to be the two of them. Bonnie's a little leery about it, because she's begun to develop a bit of a crush on Jeremy, and doesn't really want to be left alone with him. Jeremy can tell she's uncomfortable, but she lies and tells him she's fine.

Back at the Boarding House, Phoebe's finished dinner, and is now setting it out on the table with Hayley. While they do that, Elijah finally arrives. Damon answers the door.

"Good evening," said Elijah.

"Thank you for coming," said Damon. "Please. Come in."

"Just one moment," said Elijah. He gave Damon a look. "Let me just say that if you have less than honorable intentions about how this evening is going to proceed, I suggest you reconsider."

Damon shrugged, and feigned innocence, "No, nothing dishonorable, just a...getting-to-know-you."

Elijah gave an annoyed smile, "That's good. Because, you know, although Phoebe and I have this deal, if you so much as make a move to cross me I will make good on my promise from the other day. Are we clear?"

The false smile faded from Damon's face, "Crystal."

Elijah caught sight of Phoebe, and his entre face lit up, "Phoebe. I've been looking forward to tasting your cooking again, all day."

Phoebe smiled, "Well, you're just in time. Dinner's just been served."

"Wonderful," he said, walking to the dining room with her.

Damon closed the front door, and followed them. Damon sat at the head of the table, with Andie to his left. Next to Andie was Elijah, and then Phoebe. John sat at the opposite end of the table with Hayley on his left. After Hayley was Jenna, and hen Rick. Towards the end of the meal, talk drifted towards Elijah's research of the Founding Families.

"So, Elijah, how's your research coming along?" John asked.

"Quite well, actually. Phoebe's quite helpful," replied Elijah. He smiled at Phoebe.

Phoebe returned his smile, "I'm not so sure about that. You seem to know more about than I do."

"Oh, yeah? Like what?" Damon asked.

"Well, Elijah was just telling me today that our families didn't actually found Mystic Falls," said Phoebe.

Damon looked at Elijah with false interest, "Really? Do tell."

Elijah looked up from his plate to find everyone staring at him, "Well, as I mentioned to Phoebe earlier, a faction of settlers migrated from Salem after the Witch Trials in the 1690s. Over the next hundred years, they developed this community where they could feel safe from persecution."

Andie groaned in disbelief, "There's no tangible proof that there were witches in Salem."

"Andie's a journalist. Big on facts," said Damon.

"The lore says that there was this wave of anti-witch hysteria that broke out in the neighboring settlement, so the witches were rounded up. They were tied to stakes in a field together, and burned," Elijah went on. He looked over at Phoebe, and found her just as fascinated as he knew she would be. "Some say you could hear their screams for miles around us, as they were consumed by the fire."

"I wouldn't repeat this to the Historical Society," Jenna joked. She and Andie both laughed.

"That sounds more like a ghost story," said Hayley.

Elijah shrugged, "I suppose that's why they call it lore."

"Actually, any tragedy can be made to sound like a ghost story, if told properly," said Phoebe. "Even something like the story of the _Titanic_ , which everyone knows actually happened."

"Girl makes a good point," said Damon.

"Indeed she does," Elijah agreed, looking at Phoebe.

Damon didn't like the way Elijah was looking at her, even less the way Jenna got all giddy about it. He cleared his throat, "Would anyone care for some cognac? I have a bottle that I've been saving for ages."

"None for me, thanks. Nine bottles of wine is my limit," said Rick.

Damon gave Andie a look, signaling her to say, "The gentlemen should take their drinks in the study."

"What, while the women do the dishes? That's not sexist," Hayley commented. Phoebe laughed.

"Quite right, a real man helps clean up the mess he's helped make," said Elijah.

"I appreciate that, but four of us trying to clean up will be plenty," said Phoebe. "You boys enjoy your overpriced liquor."

Elijah smiled at her joke, "Very well. Thank you for the delicious meal, Miss Gilbert. It was almost as good as the company."

Phoebe's cheeks turned a light pink – everyone was gawking at them. When Elijah left with Damon, Hayley gave Phoebe a look that said, "I told you he had a thing for you."

Phoebe ignored her, and headed or the kitchen to clean up her mess. While the women cleaned up, John spoke to Rick, once again, about wanting his ring back. He warned Rick that he wasn't going to ask again.

Meanwhile at the Gilbert Lakehouse, Elena finds something rather interesting in Johnathan Gilbert's journal. He researched the originals. He wrote about the dagger that John gave to Damon, and the white oak ash. She told Stefan about it and he came clean about Damon's plan to kill Elijah that night with that very weapon. Elena wanted nothing more than to be able to argue with him on why he didn't tell her about it, but there would be time for that later. For now, she needed to warn him of the fine print that went with that dagger. If any vampire tries to use it, they'll die.

Stefan whipped his phone out and tried calling his brother, but there was no answer. Damon had shut his phone off. Stefan – in hindsight – should've called Rick next, but his hands moved faster than his brain, and he called Phoebe instead.

Meanwhile in the library, Damon pours drinks for him and Elijah.

"You have quite the collection, here," said Elijah, referring to the books. "Phoebe must be in heaven when she stays here."

"Yes, she is," said Damon. "So I heard an interesting rumor the other day."

"You don't say," replied Elijah, uninterested.

Damon handed Elijah his drink, "I heard that if Phoebe tries to kill Klaus she'll either burn out, or become some kind of unstoppable force. You wouldn't happen to know if that were true or not, would you?"

"I'll tell you what I told Miss Gilbert, the anomaly is not bound by the same limitation that witches are bound by. She was created to destroy Klaus, that is her sole purpose," Elijah replied.

Damon grew angry – Phoebe was much more than just his weapon. But if he was going to kill Elijah tonight, he had to let that go. He had to avoid a fight with him, for he'd surely lose. His only chance was a surprise attack.

Elijah moved away to look at some of the books, and Damon quietly reached for the dagger. To his great disappointment, Phoebe burst into the room before he could do anything.

Phoebe breathed a sigh of relief to see that Damon hadn't had the chance to act, yet, "Silly me, I forgot all about desert! It'll only take a few minutes to reheat, so if you two could return to the dining room with me."

"Of course," said Elijah.

He handed Damon his glass, and grabbed Phoebe's extended hand. As they began to walk out together, Phoebe dropped a piece of paper behind her for Damon to read. It said 'The dagger kills all who wield it.'

Damon was upset at first, but then realized that Phoebe would say anything to keep them from killing Elijah – it was the whole reason they didn't tell her about tonight.

"What is it?" Anna asked, appearing at Damon's side.

Damon handed her the note, "Phoebe says it'll kill anyone who tries to use it, but I wanna double check that. Gimme your phone."

Anna handed her phone over, and Damon called Stefan. Stefan, unfortunately, told them the truth. The dagger will only kill any vampire who uses it. With that, Damon had no choice but to tell Rick about their plan, so they could have him dagger Elijah.

Back in the dining room, Phoebe feels comfortable enough to return to the kitchen with Jenna, leaving Hayley to keep an eye on the boys and Andie.

"So, I know that this is a social thing, but I would love to ask you some more questions about the work you're doing here," said Andie.

"I would love to answer them," Elijah replied.

"Great. That is so great," said Andie. She saw Rick and Damon returning to the dining room, and asked Rick to fetch her notepad from her purse. Rick went over to her purse, but apparently wasn't looking in the right pocket, so Andie got up to get it herself.

"Tell me, Elijah, how exactly are you planning on killing Klaus?" John asked. "I mean, I know my daughter is your secret weapon, but what's your plan, exactly?"

"Gentlemen, there are a few things we should probably get clear, right now," said Elijah, growing annoyed. He gestured to Damon, "I allow you to live solely because Phoebe wishes it. I allow Phoebe to remain in her house, living her life with her friends and family as she does as a courtesy. If you become a liability, I'll take her away from you, and you won't see her again until Klaus is dead."

John and Damon said nothing. Neither did Hayley.

Andie returned to the table, and started to ask a question, but was cut off by the sound of Elijah dying. Rick had come up from behind him, and stabbed him in the heart through the back of the chair. Everyone jumped out of their seats and onto their feet in surprise. Rick handed the dagger back to Damon, and told him to get Elijah's body out of there, before Jenna came back.

Hayley felt horrible. Phoebe had trusted her to keep an eye on them, and make sure they didn't hurt Elijah, and she failed. But to be honest, she'd been waiting to see if anyone got a phone call from Stefan, telling them who the dagger really kills if used. She wasn't expecting someone to just go for it, nor was she expecting anyone to have checked in with Stefan this quickly.

While Damon and Anna brought Elijah's body down to the basement, Stefan argues with Elena at the lakehouse. Elena is angry that Stefan kept this from her, and Stefan is angry that Elena is so willing to sacrifice herself to save her sister. Stefan firmly believes there must be another way to kill Klaus, without having to lose either of them, but Elena isn't willing to fight to find that other way.

Back at the Boarding house, Hayley pulls Phoebe out of the kitchen for a moment to tell her about Elijah. Phoebe became so angry, she didn't say a word. She simply walked back into the kitchen, waited for Jenna to put down the pie she'd just removed from the oven, then put her to sleep with a simple touch.

Andie entered the kitchen as Phoebe was laying Jenna down gently, Oh, my God, Jenna. What happened?"

Phoebe walked right up to Andie, and put her to sleep, too. Unlike Jenna, though, Phoebe let her fall to the floor on her own.

Hayley followed, silently, as Phoebe marched out into the living room, and shouted, "Everyone not dead or unconscious, get in here, _**now**_!"

John, Rick, Anna, and Damon quickly filed into the living room from wherever they were.

"I should've known you'd be helping," Phoebe remarked to Anna.

"Where's Jenna?" Rick asked, looking nervous. He was afraid she might overhear something.

"Sleeping in the kitchen with Andie," Phoebe answered. She then addressed all of them at once, "Explain."

"He couldn't be trusted, Phoebe," said Anna.

"That's a matter of opinion, you have no facts to back that up," Phoebe replied. "Try again."

"The guy was an original," said Damon.

"How observant of you," Phoebe replied.

"Phoebe, there were only two ways his plan was gonna go," said John. "You either would've burned out and died from the amount of power required to kill Klaus, or your sister would've had to be sacrificed to make Klaus weak enough for you to kill and still survive. And if you didn't burn out, you would've become an unstoppable force that we probably would've had to take down."

"And who told you that? Katherine?" Phoebe asked.

"Isobel," he corrected.

"Oh, well, that makes it so much more reliable," Phoebe replied, sarcastically.

"The Martins said the same thing," said Damon. "Sorta. Bonnie read that Luka kid's mind, and apparently he and his dad were left an anonymous file that said...well, what John said."

"I thought Elijah said Phoebe wasn't bound by the same limitations as witches," said Hayley.

"He did, but this lot has a hard time trusting anyone," said Phoebe. She leaned in a little closer to Hayley and added, "Why do you think I've been inviting to keep you close?"

"Look, all that could mean is that you can hold more power than a witch, making you that unstoppable force that we have to stop," said Rick.

Phoebe looked away, and shook her head, "No. Elijah wouldn't lie to me. If there was a risk of burning out or becoming some kind of monster, he'd have told me."

Meanwhile, Elijah woke up in the basement, very annoyed. The first thing he did was call Dr. Martin. He told him about the others using the dagger on him, and that they'd somehow heard about the possibility of Phoebe having to die to kill Klaus, and there was only one place they could've heard that.

Back at the Lakehouse, Stefan informs Elena that Damon was successful in killing Elijah. This meant that Phoebe wouldn't be training to become a weapon anymore, and that they could look for another way to kill Klaus without killing Phoebe, too.

Elena wasn't very happy to hear it, given it was their best option, but accepted it. She closed another journal, and remarked that as long as the dagger stays in Elijah is pretty much dead. It took Stefan a moment to register what she said, but once he caught on he flew to his phone to call his brother.

Meanwhile, Bonnie practices her magic with Jeremy at the Gilbert house. She shows him how she can channel the different elements or astrological events, which he finds very interesting. He asks her if she can channel a person, since they're made up of mostly water, and encourages her to try channeling him. Bonnie awkwardly agrees, but is saved from her awkwardness by Dr. Martin.

Dr. Martin flung the front door open with a wave of his hand, and pinned Jeremy to the wall with a similar gesture. He demanded that Bonnie tell him what Luka told her, and she does. She tells him she knows about Klaus having his daughter, and that she knows he and Luka are working with Elijah to try and get her back. Dr. Martin isn't happy to hear this.

Bonnie tries suggesting that they work together towards their common goal, but Dr. Martin doesn't listen. He tells Bonnie what he has to do now is for her own good, then takes her powers.

Back at the Boarding House, Damon still doesn't have his phone, so Stefan calls Phoebe. She hit the ignore button on his call, so he texted her. When she reads the message, her eyes widened. The next thing she knew, Elijah was throwing Damon across the living room. Anna tried to react, but Elijah was faster. He tossed her aside, like a rag doll, giving Damon the chance to attack.

While the three vampires fought, the other four noticed the dagger on the floor. Damon had apparently dropped it, when Elijah threw him across the room. John and Rick went for, and Phoebe went for them. She was able to touch John and knock him out, but that unfortunately meant that Rick was able to grab the dagger.

Elijah did his best to fight Anna and Damon off, without killing them, but it was difficult. If he could kill them, he'd have taken them out while they're backs were turned; but Phoebe wanted them alive, and as annoyed as he was he wasn't going to break his word to her.

Phoebe caught sight of Rick – he was preparing to charge Elijah, while he was distracted with Damon and Anna. Phoebe did the only thing she could think to do from so far away. She began to heat up the dagger, like she did with the coin. She only made it hot enough for Rick to drop it – she didn't want it to melt in his hand.

Hayley raced out to grab the dagger, before Rick could pick it back up, but Anna flitted over and grabbed it first. She sent Hayley flying across the room, then passed the dagger back over to Rick. It all happened so fast, Phoebe didn't have much time to react. Her primary focus was to make sure Hayley was okay – thankfully, she was fine.

Ann returned to Damon and Elijah, and helped Damon hold Elijah down, giving Rick the perfect opportunity to stab him in the chest. Rick went for it, and Phoebe did the first thing she could think of. She ran over to block Rick's path, and reached out to touch him. Before she could put him to sleep, too, Rick accidentally stabbed her with the dagger.

It took everyone a moment to register what happened. Rick looked down at his hand, praying he wouldn't find what he found. Phoebe followed his gaze down to her abdomen and collapsed. That's when everyone else caught on to what happened.

"Phoebe?" Hayley called out.

"No!" Elijah cried.

Damon released him to rush to Phoebe's side, but before he could reach her, she disappeared. As they all looked around, they saw that Elijah had disappeared, as well. He'd taken her. Just like he said he would.

The next thing Phoebe knew, she was waking up in a strange house. She sat up on the couch Elijah had left her on, and examined her surroundings. She could taste blood in her mouth, and she wasn't in pain anymore – that meant Elijah had already healed her. The more she studied her surroundings the more familiar they became.

" _I feel like I've been here, before, but...everything looks different, somehow,"_ she thought to herself. She looked around at the tile floors and tall windows.

"You're awake," said Elijah, appearing in the doorway.

Phoebe looked up at him and it hit her like a train. This was the house Trevor had taken her to after the masquerade ball. This was where she first met Elijah.

"How are you feeling?" he asked her, coming down the steps.

"Better, thank you. Is this-"

"It is."

"It looks so-"

"I've been renovating it," said Elijah, proudly. "I thought it might be a good-"

"Safe house?" Phoebe guessed, cutting him off. She smiled. "I can do it, too."

Elijah returned her smile.

"So does this mean you're taking me away?" she asked.

"Only if you want to," he told her. "It would be best, though. Your friends don't seem to want to trust me."

Phoebe nodded in agreement, "I agree. Leaving with you would be the easiest solution. And I assume that a vampire as old as you would have ways to keep them from following us, or tracking us down...It really would be the most ideal solution."

"I sense there's a 'but'," he said.

"But...I promised to keep a friend safe from the vampires in that town. I practically begged her to stay in Mystic Falls, I can't just leave her there," Phoebe replied.

"You could always invite her to come with us," said Elijah.

"It's too late for that," said Phoebe. "If i go back now to get her, Damon won't let me leave again. None of them will. And if we try and tell her where to meet us, Damon and the others will follow her. The only options I have are to either leave her, or go back...I can't leave her. She's been abandoned enough in her life. I won't be another person to turn their back on her."

Elijah smiled, "You have a kind heart, Miss Gilbert. Another rare trait for someone of your age, in this time."

Phoebe returned his smile, and extended her hand, "May I see the dagger?"

Elijah wasn't sure why she wanted it, but something told him to trust her. He removed the dagger from his coat pocket, and handed it over. Phoebe placed it on the ground in front of them, then made it melt away, like the coin in the stump.

"Now no one can use it on you, again," said Phoebe.

Later that night, Phoebe returned to the Boarding house to have a talk with Damon. She found him in the library, nursing a glass of bourbon – he wasn't surprised to see her, because she'd called him on her way home to let him know she was alive and coming back.

"You came back," he noted.

"I had to," Phoebe replied. "We both know you would never just let me go, even if it was my own decision."

"So where's Elijah?"

"Gone," she replied, simply.

Damon gave her a look, "You don't really expect me to believe that, do you?"

"I told him about your concerns regarding my powers, and he agreed to put my training on hold, while he did some research on it," said Phoebe. "So, yes, I do expect you to believe that he left to check out those rumors."

Damon didn't seem to buy it, but he also didn't appear to be paranoid about Elijah possibly coming back to kill him.

"You now I had a long time to think on the way home. I kept trying to figure out why you can never trust me, despite all the things we've been through. I couldn't understand why Elijah would restrain himself from killing you – despite the fact that you were trying to kill him – or why my dad would agree not to kill you and Stefan, because I asked them not to; but you won't stop trying to kill them, despite the fact that I've asked you several times. I've begged and pleaded with you to leave Elijah alone, and you wouldn't do it," said Phoebe. Damon said nothing. He simply sat there, and listened. "But I think I've figured it out. I have something with Elijah that you and I have never had."

Damon rolled his eyes, "Don't tell me you're in love with the guy."

Phoebe smiled, "Nope. Better."

Damon looked at her with false interest, and waited for her to tell him.

"Mutual respect," said Phoebe.

Damon became very serious, all of a sudden. He wanted to tell her that he did respect her, but the truth was...he wasn't sure if he did. He loved her, there was no question about that. But did he really not respect her?

Phoebe turned around and headed for the door, leaving Damon alone with his thoughts.

Meanwhile, Rick drove Jenna home, after she woke up in the kitchen. Everyone told her that Phoebe and Elijah decided to go out for a walk, alone – which made her very happy. Somewhere along the way, though, John took the opportunity to put ideas in Jenna's head. He somehow convinced her that Rick had been lying about what happened to his wife, and that Isobel wasn't dead.

Once Jenna and Rick were alone together, she asked him about Isobel. Rick didn't want to lie anymore – the lies had been weighing heavily on him, lately – so he avoided answering as best as he could. Unfortunately, Jenna was smart enough to notice what he was doing, and asked him flat out if there were things he was keeping from her. Rick said nothing, thus confirming Jenna's suspicions.

After Jenna walked away, John appeared, offering to help smooth things over, in exchange for his ring. Rick handed it over, resisting the urge to hit him. Before he left though, he remarked to John that he'll need the ring more than him, now, after what he tried to do to Damon tonight.

Back at the Lakehouse, Elena agrees to start fighting. No more sitting back, and accepting the way things are, and no more martyrdom. If there's a way to save both her and Phoebe from dying in an attempt to stop Klaus, then she wants to find it. But there can't be anymore secrets and lies. Stefan and Damon can plan things behind her back, and only tell her when someone is in danger of being killed. Stefan agrees to her terms.

Later that night, Damon returns to his room to find Katherine in his shower. She tells him that she knew if she begged him not to kill Elijah that it's exactly what he would do. A little known fact, originals can compel other vampires, but as soon as they die their compulsion disappears. And she's going to stay and help them fight Klaus.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys, I'm sorry this chapter took so long to write. I realized how far behind I was on one of my other fanfictions so I decided to focus on that a little bit. My sister also got me addicted to watching jacksepticeye videos on YouTube, so I've kinda been watching those in my free time.
> 
> I just wanna say, again, I'm sorry if that last chapter was too dark for some of you guys, I didn't mean for it to be that bad. I just typed it as I pictured it, and didn't go back to reread it and see how bad it actually was. I do that a lot. I also understand that some of you may not like me leaving Phoebe permanently scared, but it's meant to help the character grow and evolve. As I showed you in this chapter, that pain is going to help her become stronger. This whole time she's been pretty cocky about things. She's so sure that she's always going to come out okay. This sends a wake-up call to the character that she won't always come out okay.
> 
> It's also been brought to my attention that Phoebe is coming off as a bit hypocritical, because she's now referring to Grayson and Miranda as her aunt and uncle instead of her mom and dad. Phoebe still loves them, and is grateful for having them raise her and Elena instead of strangers; but now that she can say it, she wants to call John her dad. She means no disrespect or anything towards Grayson and Miranda. John is just her favorite person, and she's proud to have him as her father. She doesn't want to waste anymore time hiding behind the illusion that he's just her uncle.
> 
> Did Elijah really leave? How will Phoebe react to finding out Katherine is out of the tomb? Will she call Elijah to compel her back into the tomb? I'm planning on having a karaoke night at the Grill instead of a band, who will sing? Do you think Phoebe should sing? If so, what song? Will Phoebe be able to figure out who Klaus is possessing before the dance? What will Klaus think of her? Will Katherine warn him of how smart she is, before meeting her? What will Phoebe think of Klaus when she finally gets to meet him?
> 
> What do you think so far? What do you think will happen in the future? What do you hope to see in the future?


	38. The House Guest

Chapter 38: The House Guest

It's been a few days since Damon and the others tried to kill Elijah. Stefan and Elena have returned home from the lake house, and have been filled in on everything they missed - like Phoebe almost dying, while trying to protect Elijah. Damon had mentioned it in passing, trying to make light of it - like he did everything - but only managed to anger Stefan and Elena more.

Phoebe and Hayley made almost daily trips to the woods to train. Hayley helped her with her fighting skills, while Elijah still helped her with her power development. The two girls had helped Elijah learn how to use video chat for their training sessions; since he couldn't come back to town, and they couldn't go to him without risking being followed. Damon may not have the dagger anymore, but he could still cause problems - which meant less training time for Phoebe - or get himself killed by pissing Elijah off.

On this morning in particular, the Salvatore Boarding House was fairly full. Elena has been staying with Stefan since they got back, because she didn't want to be around John. Jeremy had been staying there with Anna most nights since John got out of the hospital, because Anna didn't want to stay in the same house as the man that killed her mother. Stefan and Damon lived there, and Phoebe and Hayley just felt like staying there the night before, for no particular reason.

Elena rushed to get dressed, as she announced to Stefan that they were late. Stefan teased her, suggesting they should be later. He picked her up, kissed her, and carried her to the bed. Elena giggled and told him five more minutes.

In Anna's room, Jeremy watched and laughed as she flitted around the room, looking for her lost homework.

"You do know we're already late, right?" he asked her.

"Then why don't you help me look, instead of standing there laughing?" Anna replied.

"So you lost your homework. What's the big deal? You only enrolled to spend more time with me," said Jeremy.

Anna stopped and looked at him, "Because I wanna do it right. I wanna be a normal teenager, sometimes. And when we're at school, that's the most normal my life gets."

Jeremy took her hands in his and looked into her eyes, "You don't need to be normal, Anna, normal is boring. And I love you just the way you are. But if normal is what you want, then believe me, losing your homework every now and then is normal."

"You love me?" Anna questioned, surprised.

Jeremy smiled, "Yeah. Yeah, I do."

Anna smiled giddily, "I love you, too."

The two shared a kiss, but were soon separated by the sound of something crashing against the wall in Phoebe's room. Anna and Jeremy ran next door to see what was going on, and found Damon was the only one in need of assistance. Stefan and Elena arrived shortly after, and were equally confused by the scene before them.

Phoebe was standing by the wardrobe along the right wall, wearing everything except a shirt. She held a t-shirt up against her front to cover herself, but stood there in shock, with a hand outstretched towards Damon.

Damon was across the room from her – to the left of the door – where he's crashed into – and destroyed – Phoebe's stereo system. A sound that even had Hayley rushing out of the shower to what had happened. She stood there in a towel – dripping wet – a few feet out of the bathroom, just as surprised as Phoebe.

"That was new," said Phoebe.

"What's going on? What happened?" Stefan questioned.

"I don't know," Phoebe said slowly. "Damon came rushing at me, so I put my hand up instinctively, and then he just went flying across the room."

"Really? Cool," said Hayley, impressed.

Phoebe looked at her and smiled, "I know, right?"

"Wait, why was Damon trying to attack you?" Jeremy questioned.

"Because," said Damon, picking himself up. "I thought she was someone else."

"Who?" Elena asked.

"You know, if all three of us are gonna be in this house together, we've really gotta start wearing labels, or something," said Phoebe. "You can't just attack first, and ask questions later, Damon."

"What are you talking about?" Elena asked.

"He attacked me, because he thought I was Katherine," Phoebe answered.

Elena looked surprised, "Katherine's here?"

Phoebe frowned, "You've been here for days, and you haven't noticed her prowling the place?"

"Wait, how did you know she was out, you've only been here one day?" Damon asked.

"Elijah told me about his compulsion breaking, after Rick stabbed him," Phoebe answered.

"Wait, how is that possible?" Stefan questioned.

"He's an original. They have all sorts of special skills," said Katherine, appearing behind them. She stepped through the group into Phoebe's room, and now they understood why Damon had attacked Phoebe. Katherine was wearing Phoebe's clothes, which meant she had been pretending to be her, causing Damon to believe that Katherine was up to something in Phoebe's room.

"Why is she still here?" Elena asked.

"Because you need me, Elena," Katherine replied.

"Like hell we do," said Hayley.

"We all want the same thing. Klaus dead," Katherine argued. "And here you all are, running around like chickens with your heads cut off."

"We don't need your help," said Elena.

"And we don't want it," Phoebe added.

"Then that's incredibly stupid of you," replied Katherine. "Do you know where Klaus is? When he's coming? What he looks like?"

"You don't even know the answers to those questions," said Hayley.

"Except maybe what he looks like, but I doubt you're going to paint us a picture," said Phoebe.

Katherine smiled arrogantly at the two girls, "And what makes you think that in the 500 years I've spent running from him, I wouldn't know where he is at all times?"

"I don't doubt that you've kept tabs on him for the past 500 years. What I doubt is that you've spent the last couple of weeks keeping tabs on him," said Phoebe. "You know, since you've kinda been stuck in a tomb.

"I mean, it's possible that you could've gotten back in touch with your contacts, since you've been out, but I doubt it," Hayley added. "You've seemed far more interested in playing pretend."

Katherine looked incredibly annoyed with the two girls, but refused to confirm or deny their speculations.

"Oh, and I do know what Klaus looks like, so I guess we really don't need you," said Phoebe.

Katherine gave her a sarcastic smile, "You do need me, Phoebe. You'll realize that sooner or later. Until then, I'll be around."

Later at school, Stefan walks Elena to class, as she complains about Katherine's decision to stay in town. She's convinced that Katherine has an alternate agenda, and refuses to trust her. Stefan agrees that she shouldn't be entirely trusted, but admits that they are all after the same thing: Klaus dead.

Stefan offers to have a quiet night together at her place, but Elena tells him that they can't. She's planned a girls' night with Bonnie and Caroline. Caroline is still having problems with Matt, and Bonnie is still adjusting to having lost her powers.

Elsewhere, Matt hangs fliers for the Grill.

"Karaoke night? Since when did the Grill decide to have those?" Phoebe asked, appearing beside Matt.

Matt smiled, "The Grill's tryin' to stay afloat. It's been losing a lot of business lately."

"Really?"

"Yeah. They're even offering to record your drunk friend's performance, so you can buy a copy on the way out," he said.

"Wow. Well, I guess that might work. I mean, drunk people singing karaoke is pretty funny, and to have that memory on DVD forever…"

Matt laughed, "Well, now I'm glad I'll be working tonight. The last thing I need is you buying a recording of me trying to sing drunk."

"Oh, please, like you wouldn't do the same to me," said Phoebe.

"Of course I would. But the difference is you can actually sing, so I'd be buying it to listen to that amazing voice of yours, not to make fun of you for the rest of your life," he replied, putting an arm around her.

"I didn't spend 8 years in choir for nothing," said Phoebe.

Matt stopped to put up another flier, and noticed Phoebe didn't have her backpack with her. She was carrying a few papers, but that was it.

"You're traveling kinda light today," he noted. "What's up with that?"

"Oh, um…Do you remember when the school offered to let me become homeschooled, instead of sitting in class bored all day?"

Matt nodded, "You said you didn't wanna do it, because your parents had just died, and you wanted to be here to keep an eye on Elena and Jeremy."

"Yeah, well, they're better, now, so I've decided to accept their offer. I just have to come to school one day a week to drop off my schoolwork and pick up a fresh batch of work to get done," said Phoebe. "And I have to come in for major tests, but that's it."

Matt looked a little disappointed. He tried to hide it, but Phoebe knew him better than anyone.

"You'll still see me, Matty-Cakes," she told him. "We go running together almost every morning, I still have to come to school at least once a week, and we live in a very small town. You're my best friend, Matt. I'll always have time for you."

Matt smiled, "I know. I'm just used to seeing you here. Walking you to class, having lunch together, you watching me at football practice."

"Ya know, when you say it like that, it sounds like I'm your girlfriend," said Phoebe.

Matt laughed, "No, you're my wife, remember?"

"That's right, we're an old married couple! I completely forgot," Phoebe joked.

"Well, as long as you don't forget our anniversary, you're forgiven," said Matt.

"As if I could ever forget," she replied. She caught sight of Caroline down the hall, while Matt hung another flier. "So you and Caroline…how's that going?"

Matt sighed, "I don't know. I told her how I feel, but she seems at a loss for words. I just don't get it. She was the one to push for this to be something more than what it was, and now..."

Phoebe didn't know what to say. She knew why Caroline was on the fence about her and Matt, but she couldn't tell Matt that. She couldn't even imply that she knew something he didn't, because she was supposed to be his best friend. If he knew she knew something and wouldn't tell him, he'd feel betrayed. Thankfully, the topic shifted enough to take the pressure off of Phoebe some, but the direction it shifted made her feel a different kind of uncomfortable.

Matt caught sight of something behind Phoebe on the bulletin board, and he had to choke back a laugh.

"What's so funny?" Phoebe asked.

"Oh, nothing. They've just posted the nominees for this year's cutest couple," he said, still trying not to laugh. "Your sister's on it, too."

Phoebe tried to think of how that was funny, but then horror struck her. He didn't say Elena was on it. He said Elena was on it, too. A chill ran down Phoebe's spine, as she slowly turned to face the bulletin board.

When she saw it, she was at a loss for words, "…no…"

"Oh, yes," Matt snickered.

Phoebe turned back to him, "No."

"Yes," said Matt.

"No, no, no."

"Yes, yes, yes."

"But…but…why?" Phoebe questioned.

Matt drew her attention to a promotional flier someone on the yearbook committee had made. It was a collage of pictures of her and Damon together. There was a picture of them staring at each other like something out of a romance movie at the 50s Decade Dance, a couple of pictures of them at the Miss Mystic Falls Pageant, and a couple of other pictures of them together on Founders' Day.

"But we're not even a couple," Phoebe argued.

Matt gave her a look, "Phoebe, look at those pictures. Anyone who saw those would think you two were head over heels in love with each other."

"But…I…," Phoebe began. She gave up on words, and blew a raspberry.

"It could be worse, you know. They could've put us as a couple," said Matt, putting his arm back around her as they walked.

"Didn't they try that freshman year?" Phoebe asked.

Matt thought for a moment, "Yeah, they did. We almost won, too."

"Idiots…"

Back at the Boarding House, Katherine's changed back into her own clothes, and has resumed bothering Damon out of boredom.

"You know, instead of bothering me, why don't you do something useful?" Damon asked her.

"Like what, Damon?"

"Oh, I don't know. How about find us another weapon to kill Elijah with, in case he comes back," Damon replied sarcastically.

Katherine gave him a look, "What happened to the dagger John gave you?"

"Phoebe kinda…melted it down into nothing," he said.

"What? Why would she do that?" Katherine questioned.

Damon took a breath, "She said she didn't want us to be able to try that again."

"I see," said Katherine. A grin was playing on her lips.

"What?"

"You didn't wanna kill him because you didn't trust him, you wanted him gone because Phoebe likes him," said Katherine.

Damon rolled his eyes, and began walking away. He stopped a few feet away and, without turning to face her, asked, "Did you know I would die…if I used the dagger on Elijah?"

Katherine became serious, "I wanted out of the tomb. It didn't matter who paid the price…Of course I knew you'd die."

Back at the high school, Stefan informs Bonnie of Katherine's escape from the tomb. He also asks her to arrange a meeting for them with the Martins. Now that Elijah's gone, maybe they can work together to stop Klaus. Bonnie agrees to set up the meeting, but doubts that the Martins will align themselves with them.

Meanwhile, Phoebe talks to Rick in his classroom.

"It was bad. You know, John planted all these seeds about Isobel and now Jenna knows I'm lying about something," said Rick.

"I love him, but right now I'm so angry I could kill him," said Phoebe.

"Yeah, well, you're gonna have a bit of a hard time with that," Rick replied. He held up his hand, "I gave him back his ring."

Phoebe didn't know what to say. Part of her was glad that John had his ring back, because with all the trouble he was getting himself into – especially lately – that meant he could be safe once again. But on the other hand, that left Rick defenseless, and she cared about him, too.

"Look, Jenna keeps asking about Isobel. You know, was she murdered. Why haven't they found the body? I mean, how much longer can she stay in the dark?" Rick asked.

"I don't know," Phoebe sighed. "I wanna tell her, but…I was kind of hoping to wait until this whole Klaus thing was over with. I don't really wanna drag her into all of this and then add on top of that, that a thousand-year-old vampire wants to sacrifice Elena in a ritual to break a curse. That's just too much for her to handle all at once."

"I know, and I agree, but…I can't be with her and not tell her," said Rick. "It's not fair to her, and it's not the kind of relationship I want. I wanna be honest with her, but until then…Jenna and I are done."

Meanwhile at the Boarding House, Hayley wanders around the house, about as bored as Katherine. She made her way into the living room, where Damon was spreading out the Gilbert journals.

"What are you up to?" she asked.

"None of your business," Damon replied.

"Are those the Gilbert journals?" Hayley asked.

Damon didn't bother to look up at her, as he continued organizing the journals, "Why aren't you shadowing Phoebe, like you normally do?"

"Phoebe had to go to school to drop off some papers," she said. "She'll be back in a little bit."

"Well, then go find something else to do, besides bothering me," he told her.

Hayley folded her arms across her chest and sighed, "You know, if you tell me what you're up to, maybe I can help."

"Can you tell me where a bunch of witches were massacred in this town a couple centuries ago?" Damon asked her, not even bothering to look up.

"No, but-"

"Then you can't help."

Hayley grew annoyed, but did her best to keep her cool, "Why do you need to know where a bunch of witches were massacred?"

Again, Damon didn't bother to look up, as he replied, "When a witch dies violently, they release a mystical energy marking the place of their death with power. My brother and I are hoping that if a witch can channel enough power, they'll be strong enough to kill Klaus."

"Like the power you get from a spot marked with a bunch of dead witches," Hayley noted.

"Exactly."

Hayley realized something, and became confused, "But how are you gonna get a witch to channel that kind of power? I mean, Phoebe said your witch lost her powers."

"My brother's gonna try talking to papa witch and baby witch about joining forces, after school," Damon replied. "I doubt they'll go for it, but my brother just loves playing peacemaker."

That's when Hayley gave up trying to play nice with Damon, and walked away. A werewolf has a bad enough temper as it is – not to mention their instinctual dislike for vampires – she didn't need the added aggravation from Damon.

Back at the school, Phoebe headed out with her fresh batch of schoolwork.

"Phoebe! Hold up," Stefan called, chasing after her.

"Everything okay?" Phoebe asked.

"Yeah, I just wanted to ask you about this morning," he answered, catching up to her.

"This morning?"

"Yeah," he said. "What exactly did you do to Damon?"

"I thought I answered that this morning," said Phoebe.

"You did, I just…How did you send him flying across the room?" Stefan asked.

Phoebe shrugged, "I don't know. I saw him coming at me, and instinctively put my hand up to block him. It was just a reflex."

"No, I know that, but…I thought you stopped working on developing your powers."

"I have," Phoebe lied. "But just because I stopped purposely trying to use them, doesn't mean they're going to stop developing on their own."

"True," he agreed. "But sending Damon flying across the room wasn't from water or fire. I mean, I didn't hear an explosion."

"No, an explosion would require fire and air. The compressed heated air creates the explosion," she explained. "I also haven't learned air, yet – I mean, currently."

"Yeah, that's my point. Heated or not, compressed air could send someone flying across the room. If you haven't learned air, yet, then how did you send my brother flying?" Stefan asked.

Phoebe shrugged, "I don't know."

"What, uh…what emotions are connected to air?" he asked.

"Uh, freedom, boldness, and harmony," Phoebe answered.

"Well, there you go," he said. Phoebe gave him a funny look. "Boldness. You put your hand up to defend yourself, not to hide because you were scared."

Phoebe laughed, "I'm not bold, Stefan. I'm the opposite of bold."

"That's not true. You are the boldest person I know, Phoebe," Stefan corrected. "You may not be able to talk to another human to save your life, but when it comes to dangerous vampires or werewolves, you don't bat an eye."

"That's because people are far more cruel," said Phoebe. "They attack you emotionally, while vampires and werewolves just try to kill you."

Stefan laughed, "My point still stands. You are bold, Phoebe."

Phoebe smirked, but it quickly grew into a smile.

Later that day – after school – Stefan and Bonnie met with Luka and Jonas Martin at the Grill. Stefan offered them an alliance, but they didn't seem to be interested. He managed to convince them to stay and hear him out, but that was about all he convinced them of.

Once they got home, Luka expresses his belief that they should join forces, because the others may have more luck finding the site of the witch massacre. Jonas assured his son that they wouldn't be able to, because they tried for weeks and were unsuccessful. He also tells his son that Stefan and Damon cannot be trusted, and since Elijah has vanished – without so much as a word to them – neither can he. This means they're on their own.

"We can't defeat Klaus on our own, dad" Luka protested.

"We don't need to," Jonas replied. "We just need to bargain with him."

"With what? We have nothing to bargain with," Luka argued.

"Not yet, but we will. Tonight, we're going to get the moonstone back from wherever Elijah's hidden it, or wherever Stefan and Damon have hidden it. And then we're going to give to Klaus in exchange for your sister," said Jonas.

Later at the Gilbert house, Bonnie, Caroline, and Elena discuss what to eat for dinner. They all agree on pizza, then move on to talking about the Martins. Elena wonders if they'll decide to join forces, but Bonnie doubts it. Caroline change the subject to what movie they should watch for their girls' night, and suggests 'The Notebook'.

"Haven't you seen that movie, like, a thousand times?" Phoebe asked, entering the kitchen. Hayley was with her.

"That is so not the point," Caroline argued.

Phoebe laughed to herself, as she took a couple of waters out of the fridge, handing one to Hayley.

"Well, yeah, I mean…," Elena began. She stopped when Jenna entered the kitchen. "Hey."

"What's goin' on?" she asked.

"Girls' night, apparently," said Hayley.

Jenna nodded, "Oh."

"How are you doing?" Elena asked her.

"You heard about my fight with Rick," she guessed.

"He feels terrible," Phoebe said.

"Is this some kind of disguised attempt to cheer me up?"Jenna asked.

Phoebe stepped closer to her aunt, and looked her in the eye, "Jenna, I love you. But under no circumstances would I sit around eating bon-bons and watching 'The Notebook'."

Everyone laughed.

"But we'll be here, if you happen to wanna talk, or…," Elena began.

"Because I am a winner when it comes to successful relationships," Caroline interrupted.

Jenna smiled, "You, too?"

"You have no idea," said Caroline.

"Okay, then," Jenna conceded. "It's this whole Isobel thing. He's hiding something from me."

"To play devil's advocate, maybe he's got a good reason for not telling you. Maybe he's trying to protect you," Hayley defended.

"Well, that's not his call to make," Jenna argued. "I mean, I deserve the truth. Everybody does."

"But sometimes it's harder than that," Caroline argued back.

The twins remained silent, as they watched Jenna.

"Not if it's somebody you care about, it isn't," Jenna told her. That was the end of that discussion.

Hayley cleared her throat, "You know what you guys need? Drunk, tone-deaf people singing."

"Great idea," Phoebe agreed. "They're having a karaoke night at the Grill."

"I'm in," said Bonnie.

"Me, too," said Caroline.

"Okay…in," said Jenna.

"In," said Elena.

Meanwhile at the Martins', Jonas prepares to send Luka's astral self after the moonstone. He tells him to close his eyes, and focus on the moonstone. Picture it in his mind. He tells him to remember the power he felt in the stone, when he had it. Luka does as his father says, and finds himself in a place he least expected to find himself…

"I'm at the Gilbert house," said Luka, standing by the front door. "The Salvatores must've hidden the moonstone here."

"That makes sense. Anyone who knew the Salvatores had it wouldn't think to search there for it," said Jonas. "Even I expected them to keep it close. Inside their own house."

All of the girls exited the kitchen, walking towards the front door. Luka stepped aside into the living room.

"You guys go ahead, and we'll meet you there," said Phoebe.

"Wait, we aren't riding together?" Caroline asked.

"Six of us crammed into one car? No, thank you," Phoebe replied.

Everyone laughed, and made some gesture of agreement. Jenna, Elena, Caroline, and Bonnie grabbed their things, and headed out the door. When they were gone, Phoebe and Hayley went upstairs to Phoebe's room to get ready to follow them. Halfway up the stairs, though, Phoebe got the odd feeling of being watched. What made it odd, was Hayley was walking ahead of her, so Phoebe knew it wasn't her; but they were the only ones home. Phoebe shrugged off the feeling, and proceeded to her room.

"What's happening?"Jonas asked.

"Bonnie, Caroline, and Elena just left with Elena's aunt," Luka answered. "Phoebe and the she-wolf just went upstairs, but they're going to be leaving soon, too."

"Focus on the moonstone. It had to be there, somewhere," said Jonas.

Luka did as his father instructed, and focused on finding the moonstone. His senses told him that it was upstairs, so that's where he went. He followed the feeling into Phoebe's room, "It's in here, somewhere. I can feel it."

"Where?" Jonas asked.

"Phoebe's room," Lukas answered.

"They must've given it to her to protect," Jonas guessed. "Feel around with your senses. Locate the moonstone, but don't touch anything until they leave."

"Right," Luka acknowledged.

He felt around with his witch senses, as he walked around the room. He walked near Phoebe's closet, but felt himself being pulled towards the opposite side of the room. He looked in that direction and saw the bookshelf. Maybe there was some kind of hallowed out book that Phoebe had hid the moonstone inside.

To Luka's disappointment, Phoebe was not that transparent. It wasn't hidden behind any of the canvases on her walls, either. Neither did she hide it in one of the drawers of her window seat, nor anywhere in or on her dresser. No, the strongest feeling came from the oddest of places…a stuffed pig sitting on her bed.

While Luka had been circling her room, Phoebe sat on her bed tying her shoelaces. She also couldn't shake the feeling of someone else being there with her – aside from Hayley.

"You okay?" Hayley asked – she'd noticed Phoebe's discomfort.

"I don't know," she replied. She got to her feet, walked over to the small table by the bookshelf, and picked up her phone. Hayley watched her, curiously, as she called someone. "Hey, where are you?"

"I am at home. Why?" Stefan replied, walking around his room.

"Is Damon there, too?" Phoebe asked, looking around her room suspiciously. Hayley got up from the window seat, and walked closer to Phoebe.

"Last time I saw him – which was only a few minutes ago – he was going through the Gilbert journals with Jeremy and Anna," said Stefan. "Why, what's going on?"

"I'm not sure," she mumbled. Her eyes stopped on the space between her dresser and bed – directly where Luka was standing. Thought she couldn't see him, she still knew something was there.

A cold shiver ran down Luka's spine, and his heart skipped a beat. He tried walking over to the window seat, but Phoebe's eyes only followed him. Luka's father noticed his son's distress, "What's going on, Luka?"

"It's Phoebe. I think she can see me," Luka replied.

"That's impossible," said Jonas.

"She's looking right at me, dad," Luka argued. "I've tried moving, but she…"

"Phoebe?" Stefan called. "You still there?"

Hayley followed Phoebe's gaze, as she slowly lowered the phone away from her ear.

"Luka, listen to me. She can't see you, so she can't hurt you. Just grab the moonstone, and get out of there," Jonas ordered.

Luka hesitated out of fear, before trying to go for the pig. But before he could take a complete step, Phoebe extended her free hand towards him, and sent him flying out of the window. All Phoebe and Hayley could see was the window exploding outwards – Stefan heard it.

"Phoebe?" Stefan questioned more panic in his voice. "Phoebe, what's going on? Phoebe!"

Hayley and Phoebe ran over to her destroyed window, and looked down. There was nothing there, except for bits of glass and wood.

Phoebe raised her phone back up to her ear, "We've got a lollipop situation."

Back at the Martins', Luka's father heard the sound of his son's bones breaking, as his now lifeless body went rigid. Jonas laid his son on the floor, and did his best to use magic to bring him back, but nothing worked. His son was dead, as a result of being thrown out of a second story window.

Over at the Grill, things get awkward for the girls when Matt ignores Caroline entirely. Jenna goes to the bar for a drink, after seeing Rick, and the other girls discuss what's going on between Caroline and Matt. Bonnie and Elena try encouraging Caroline to talk to Matt, but she's still torn about keeping secrets from him. Elena points out that despite the fact that they tell themselves that keeping them all in the dark keeps them safe, they just end up hurting the people they love anyway; so maybe they should just tell them the truth. But Caroline argues that it isn't just her decision. Matt is Phoebe's best friend, so if she doesn't want Matt to know about this stuff right now, then she has to respect that.

"What the hell just happened?" Hayley questioned. She waited for Phoebe to end her call with Stefan, before asking.

"I-I don't know," Phoebe replied. "I just…It felt like someone else was here, that I couldn't see. And normally when that happens, there's a vampire trying to sneak up on me; but Stefan said he, Damon, and Anna were all at the Boarding house. And we just saw Caroline leave."

Hayley opened her mouth to question further, but then it hit her, "Hypersensitivity."

Phoebe furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, "Come again?"

"Hypersensitivity," Hayley repeated. "It was in the file that Elijah gave you about possible ways your powers can manifest. Hypersensitivity is a form of air manipulation."

"You read the file?" Phoebe asked.

"Yeah. Is that a problem?"

"Nope. Just nice to have someone as interested as I am about it all," said Phoebe. The girls shared a smile. "Astral projection."

Hayley furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, "Come again?"

"Astral projection," Phoebe repeated. "It's where a witch separates their consciousness from their body, and projects it somewhere else."

"You think that's what you were sensing here?"

"Well, it wasn't a vampire," said Phoebe. "On 'Charmed' they were visible to the naked eye, but there is lore that says otherwise."

"You are such a nerd," Hayley teased.

Phoebe narrowed her eyes at her, but smiled.

Hayley smiled back, but then became serious, "So when you sent him flying out of the window…did you kill him?"

Phoebe shook her head, "Astral projection is just the projection of the consciousness, not the entire body. I probably just sent his – or her – consciousness back to his – or her – body. The problem is, though, who sent them? Was it one of Klaus' witches, sent to spy on me?"

"That'd be my guess," said Hayley. "You are the only thing capable of killing him."

"Or maybe they were here looking for something else…," Phoebe muttered, looking at Marvin.

Hayley followed her gaze, "Why would they want your pig?"

"I'll explain, later," she replied, digging in her closet. She pulled out a fairly-sizable purse, and shoved Marvin inside. After that she dug an antique-looking necklace out of her jewelry box, and put it around her neck.

"What's that?" Hayley asked.

"Later."

"Hey, what happened to your window?" Stefan asked, appearing out of nowhere.

Phoebe explained it all as quickly as she could, because she and Hayley were expected at the grill and they were already taking longer than they should to get there. Stefan agreed to clean up the mess for them – as well as replace her window – while they were out, but they had to keep everyone away from the house as long as they could.

"So are you gonna tell me what's going on, now?" Hayley asked, once they were driving away from the Gilbert house.

Phoebe took a deep breath and began her story.

March 10, 2010

1 Month Ago (about a week before the Masquerade Ball)

The rain poured all around her, as she stood under her umbrella, mentally arguing with herself for the seventh time since she'd left Mystic Falls. She tried reminding herself that this was a good plan. A great plan. After all, she was the one who'd come up with it, so how could it be anything less? Still, she found herself doubting her plan.

Though she'd accounted for every variable, she was still forced to have a certain level of faith. Faith that they wouldn't betray her. Faith that they would even agree to help her in the first place. Faith that they could do it.

She kicked herself mentally, "That's enough! You just have to have faith. I know your mind is far too logical to trust in anything or have any kind of faith without proof, but you have no choice. You have to trust that this can be done. You have to trust that they'll help you. This is the only way."

Phoebe took a deep breath, and stepped into the shop.

"Finally decided to come in, I see," said Agnes.

Phoebe furrowed her eyebrows.

"You've been standing in the rain for the past ten minutes," said Zoie. "And before that you were sitting in your car."

"Sorry," Phoebe replied. "I was just trying to decide if it was a good idea to come in or not."

Zoie laughed, "Why wouldn't you want to come in? Unless you like standing in the rain."

"No, I just…I was trying to decide if you two were the right ones to help me, or if you even could help me," said Phoebe.

Agnes became serious, "Something going on between you and Damon?"

Phoebe hesitated, "…This-This isn't about Damon."

"Uh-oh," Zoie mumbled.

"Zoie," Agnes scolded. Zioe mimed zipping her mouth shut, and Agnes returned her attention to Phoebe. "What's on your mind, sweetheart?"

Phoebe cleared her throat to steady herself – she was shaking, and it wasn't from the rain, "I know witches can sense magic in things, such as a necklace, but can they – you – sense if it's been linked to a spell? And if so, can you tell which spell it's been linked to?"

Agnes shook her head, "The only thing there is to sense is the essence of magic. A sort of residue."

"It's like…finding chocolate smeared on the kitchen counter," Zoie added. "You know chocolate was there at some point, but what for? Did someone back something with it? Did they eat a candy bar? Did they make a hot fudge sundae?"

"Bottom line is, we can feel the magic that has touched the item, but we have no idea how long it's been there, or how it got there," said Agnes.

Phoebe smiled involuntarily. This was good.

"Why does that make you happy?" Agnes asked.

"I'll tell you in a minute," Phoebe replied. "Is there any way to infuse an ordinary object with magic, so that any witch who tries to read it will sense magic in it? For example, say there was a magic talisman I wanted to protect by hiding it away; if I find an exact replica of it, could I infuse it with magic so that everyone would think it was the original, even though it's not?"

Zoie nodded, "Sure. It won't be able to do the same things as the original, though. It's not like copying a key."

"That's perfect," Phoebe beamed.

"I gather you want us to infuse a replica of something with magic," said Agnes. "The question is, why?"

Phoebe looked between the two witches, then pulled the item in question out of her pocket, and handed it over.

"So that's why you took so long to come in here," said Zoie, passing it to Agnes. "You were trying to decide whether or not you could trust us."

"Well, we can't blame her," said Agnes. "She barely knows us."

Zoie nodded in agreement, "I take it Damon doesn't know you're here?"

Phoebe shook her head, "No one does."

"Then we better get to work, before they get suspicious," said Agnes. "I assume the reason you haven't told them is because you don't want them to know."

"The less people that know, the better," Phoebe admitted.

"Then let's infuse this baby with some magic," said Zoie.

It didn't take long for them to do it. And when Phoebe tried to pay them, they refused to accept her money.

"The only payment we want, is for you to be safe," said Agnes. "We know what spell this stone is linked to."

"Speaking of which," said Zoie. She handed Phoebe an antique necklace made of pewter. It was an emerald green heart, haloed by roses. "It's a protection amulet. It protects the wearer from being killed by a supernatural creature."

"It looks so old," Phoebe said.

"Nah. I got it at a renaissance festival a few years back," said Zoie.

Phoebe laughed, "Thank you. Both of you."

"Just be careful," said Agnes.

Present Day

"You cloned the moonstone?" Hayley asked in shock.

"Yup," Phoebe replied.

"All this time, people have been fighting over that thing – killing each other, and it's been a useless clone?" Hayley questioned.

"Yup."

"And you haven't said one word."

"I could," said Phoebe. "If everyone knew it was a fake, then they wouldn't have fought as hard to keep it. And if they didn't fight hard enough, then others would know something was off. I couldn't risk anyone finding out that it was fake, it would've defeated the whole point of making it."

Hayley thought for a moment, then remarked, "Jules tortured you over that thing. Why didn't you just tell her where it was – send her after the fake one?"

"Again, if I just told her where it was to spare being tortured, she would've known something was off," said Phoebe. "I did think about telling everyone, after my brother nearly got himself killed trying to go into the tomb on his own. If I had been here when that happened, I probably would have. Aside from that, my plan has been working just fine."

"Does Elijah know? About the copy moonstone, I mean."

Phoebe shook her head, "Aside from the witches that made it, you and I are the only ones that know about it."

"You trust me…but not Elijah…why?"

"I trust Elijah to a point, because all he cares about it killing Klaus," said Phoebe. "But you…you've proven that I can trust you. And, unlike the others, you have faith in me that I can kill Klaus without dying myself. I don't know, I just…I have this gut feeling that I can trust you with just about anything."

Hayley was touched. She'd never had someone that trusted her that completely before. She cleared her throat, "So what about the necklace? If it's supposed to protect you, why haven't you worn it before now?"

"Because it works the same way as the ring my brother wears. It only protects non-supernatural people from supernatural deaths," Phoebe answered. "I'm an anomaly. It wouldn't work on me."

"Then why wear it now?"

Phoebe looked at her, with a serious expression, "Pay attention, because this is where it gets complicated."

"Hey, what took you so long?" Elena asked. She and Bonnie were sitting at a table, Caroline was off getting drinks.

"Oh, you know me," said Phoebe. "It's always 'just one more chapter' to read."

"So what'd we miss?" Hayley asked.

"Well, Matt's giving Caroline the cold shoulder," said Bonnie.

"And Aunt Jenna has started taking shots to forget Rick," Elena finished.

"So, not much?" Phoebe joked. She saw Matt in the distance, "I'll be back."

She passed by Caroline on her way to see her friend, but Caroline didn't seem to notice her. She was too busy sneaking glances at Matt, who was busy cleaning a table.

"Oh, busboy…"

"Hey," Matt beamed. "I was wondering if you were gonna drop by tonight."

"I told you that you'd still be seeing me," said Phoebe. "Just don't expect me to sing, though."

"Oh, come on, just one song?"

"Nope. I don't do public audiences," said Phoebe. She held up a finger and added, "Solo."

Matt laughed, "I'm not givin' up, until you sing, so…prepare yourself."

Phoebe raised an eyebrow, and smiled.

Meanwhile, Jonas Martin accepts defeat in trying to revive his son. Luka was dead, and there was nothing he could do about it. Nothing to bring him back, at least. What he could do was to not let his death be in vain. What he could do was get the moonstone from Phoebe – who surely wouldn't have just left it alone, after someone just tried to take it. What he could do was make everyone else feel the bitter sting of loss by taking away the one person everyone seemed so keen to protect. The one person Elijah – who had abandoned them without so much as a word – seemed to actually care about…Phoebe Gilbert.

"What are you two talking about?" Jenna asked, joining Phoebe and Matt.

"I'm trying to convince her to sing a song," Matt answered, smile still plastered on his face.

"You should totally sing something!" Jenna agreed. "You have such an amazing voice, Phoebe."

"Flattery will get you nowhere, with me," Phoebe replied.

Matt and Jenna shared a look.

Phoebe noticed the shot in Jenna's hand, "You know that's not going to help, right? Alcohol is a depressant. It just makes things worse."

"Yeah, but at least for a moment or two, you don't care," Matt argued.

"Hear, hear," Jenna cheered, raising her shot to him. She didn't drink, though. She caught a glimpse of Rick on the other side of the room, and hesitated.

Phoebe noticed this, and when she turned back to Matt, he was sneaking a glance at Caroline. She looked between the two estranged couples, then the karaoke machine. She looked up at the ceiling, asking whoever was listening to give her strength, then stole Jenna's shot.

"Hey, what are you-"

"Sorry, but I need it more than you, right now," said Phoebe. She shot the tequila back, and handed Matt the empty glass on her way up to the stage.

"What is Phoebe doing?" Hayley asked, slowly. The other girls at the table turned their heads to follow her gaze to the stage.

Phoebe finished selecting her song, then walked up to the microphone, "This song is dedicated to some friends of mine going through relationship problems right now…You'll-You'll understand when you hear it."

The entire Grill went silent, as they shifted their focus to the stage. Most of the town knew Phoebe as the shy, quiet town genius; so her deciding to get up and sing publicly was quite surprising. Very few others knew of Phoebe's talents – whether by firsthand accounts or by rumor – and were interested in hearing her sing.

"Wake up, I'm tryin' to show you…I wanna come clean…"

Phoebe was so nervous, she had to close her eyes and pretend that she was alone.

"…You mean more than you should mean…but I'm willing to be…the one that you put on a pedestal. The one that you see in your dreams. The one that you hide your true self from. The one you want to please…"

Caroline shared a look with Matt, before both of them awkwardly looked away.

"…And I know that it's wrong to want something so false and so fake. It's not that I want to fix you, I just wanna get my way. Cause you're the one that I put on a pedestal. The one that keeps comin' back to me. The one that I gave my whole heart to. The one who makes me believe…"

Jenna shared a look with Rick, before looking away to avoid is gaze. Rick lingered for a moment, before returning to watching Phoebe.

"…I want a love that's side-by-side. I want a love that holds me tight. I want a love that feels like a dream, but when I wake up he's still there with me…"

During the intermission, the Grill erupted with 'woots' in favor of Phoebe – particularly from Hayley, Bonnie, and Elena. This gave her enough courage to open her eyes and smile.

"…So put me up on a pedestal…give me everything I need. But give it to me so completely, that there will be no more wishing…no more wishing…no more wishing…no more wishing."

The entire Grill erupted in applause.

Back at the Boarding House, Stefan returned from fixing Phoebe's window in time to hear the news that Anna had found mention of the witch massacre site in one of the Gilbert journals. Though because of prying ears – Katherine – they all pretended that there was no luck to be had.

"That's too bad," said Stefan, playing along.

"Where've you been?" Damon questioned. "I mean, while the rest of us have been here working on an actual plan."

"I was fixing Phoebe's bedroom window," he replied. He saw the concern on Damon and Jeremy's faces and explained. "A witch tried to astral project into her room, and she sent them flying out the window, like what she did to Damon this morning."

"Is she okay? Is she hurt?" Jeremy questioned.

"She's fine, they didn't hurt her," Stefan assured him. "She just needed someone to clean up the evidence, before anyone saw it, and your aunt was expecting her at the Grill."

"What did they want with Phoebe?" Damon asked.

"I don't know," Stefan sighed. "My guess, is it was probably one of Klaus' minions on a scouting mission. I mean, Phoebe is the legendary weapon that's destined to kill Klaus, or whatever."

Anna looked uncomfortable, "Are you sure it wasn't one of the Martins?"

"Why would they wanna spy on Phoebe?" Stefan asked.

"Find out if she's still in contact with Elijah, see if she really did destroy the dagger – so that maybe they can use it on Klaus…see if maybe she has the moonstone," Anna suggested.

Stefan looked at his brother, "Have you been hiding things in Phoebe's stuffed animals again?"

Damon gave him a look, "After the fuss she made the last time?"

"Guys, this isn't a joke," Anna snapped.

"What's the big deal? If it was the Martins, we'll deal with it," Damon said.

"The big deal, Damon, is a two story fall through a closed window," said Anna. "That could kill a human."

"No, Anna, whoever it was was astral projecting. They weren't actually there," said Stefan.

"You don't understand, when a witch astral projects they're still vulnerable to harm. Think of it less like dream walking, and more like being in two places at once, only invisible," she explained.

"Wait, are you saying that if it was one of the Martins that she threw out of the window, they could be hurt?" Jeremy began.

"Or worse," Anna replied.

Stefan and Damon shared a look of silent communication, then raced out of the house. When they got to the Martins' they found Luka dead on the floor, and Dr. Martin gone. They also found evidence of a locator spell for Phoebe.

Meanwhile at the Grill, Caroline follows Phoebe into the bathroom to talk to her about Matt. She tells her how she wants to be with Matt, but doesn't want to lie to him anymore. That she's worried he'll feel betrayed or hurt if he learns the truth. Or worse, he'll be scared of her.

Phoebe eases her fears by encouraging her to reunite with Matt, and admitting that she plans on telling Matt about the reality of the supernatural world someday. She tells her not to worry, because she's sure that Matt will understand why she had to be so secretive, and that he'll be able to accept the world they live in. He'll just need time to adjust – when that day comes.

Caroline hugged her new friend, and hurried off to make up with Matt – something that didn't take much effort. Matt was as happy to be together again as Caroline was – even more happy to hear that Phoebe had encouraged it.

While the two of them were making up, Phoebe received a phone call from Stefan. He told her to go into the alleyway out back, and her shadow – Hayley – followed.

"What's going on?" Hayley asked.

"The witch that was astral projecting into your room was Luka Martin," said Stefan, delicately.

"Why do I not like the way you're saying that?" Phoebe questioned.

"Anna said that when a witch astral projects, they're still corporeal. They can still be hurt, they're just invisible," said Stefan. The shock was evident on both of their faces.

"Is he okay? How bad is he hurt?" Hayley asked.

"…He didn't make it," said Stefan. "The fall killed him."

Phoebe looked at Stefan, tears welling up in her eyes, "I…I killed him?"

Stefan and Hayley both reached out to her.

"It wasn't your fault," said Stefan.

"It was an accident," said Hayley.

Phoebe felt a lump in her throat, "Oh, god…Where's Dr. Martin? I have to tell him…I have to tell him it was an accident…I had no idea that was Luka."

"Well, that's the second problem," said Stefan. "He's on his way here for you. He had some of your things at his apartment; he was using them for a locator spell."

"What does he want with her?" Hayley asked.

"I don't know, but I doubt it's good," Stefan admitted.

"What do we do?" Phoebe asked.

"Damon and I have a plan, but that requires you to snap out of this shock that you're in," said Stefan. Phoebe looked at him, surprised that he said that. He stepped closer to her, and took her hand, "I'm sorry I had to drop this bombshell on you. I know you're upset, and I empathize. But for this to work, I need you to focus. You can freak out all you want, later, and I'll be there for every second of it that you need me to be. But for now, please focus on keeping it together. Can you do that for me?"

Phoebe took a deep breath, and nodded, "So what's your plan?"

Meanwhile, back inside, Jonas Martin arrives, looking for Phoebe. He finds Bonnie and Elena first, and asks them where Phoebe is. They try asking him what he wants her for, but his only response is to explode a few light bulbs around the Grill. Becoming frightened, the girls tell him that they don't know where she is; but that answer is wrong, too. Jonas closes his eyes, and destroys the power for the entire restaurant. Elena tries asking again why he wants her sister, and he tells her what Phoebe did to Luka.

Elsewhere, Rick – who's already spoken to Damon about what's going on – tries to get Jenna to leave the Grill, before things escalate. Unfortunately, Jenna doesn't want to leave without her nieces; especially with Rick.

Jonas declares to Bonnie and Elena that no one is leaving the Grill, until he has Phoebe. The both try pleading with him not to do whatever he's thinking of doing to Phoebe, but he only demonstrates his power further by setting the Grill on fire. People scream and run for the exits.

Caroline spots Jonas with Bonnie and Elena, and attacks him. He's caught off guard enough for Bonnie and Elena to escape with the others, but he quickly regains the upper hand. He brings Caroline down with the anti-vampire spell. Matt hears her scream, and runs to her aid. Jonas repays him by stabbing him in the neck with a broken bottle. As he leaves the Grill in search of Phoebe, Caroline has to hold it together to save Matt by feeding him her blood.

Phoebe, Hayley, and Stefan got back to the Gilbert house shortly after Bonnie and Elena; and Jeremy and Anna just before them. When they did, Phoebe went straight upstairs to her room.

"Hey," Elena greeted.

"Hey," said Stefan.

"When did you guys get in?" Hayley asked.

"Just a coupled minutes ago," Bonnie answered.

Hayley turned to Anna and Jeremy next, "What about you guys?"

"Just a few minutes before them," Jeremy replied. "Why?"

"Did you check the house?" Stefan asked, looking up the stairs.

"Why would they check the house?" John asked, emerging from his room.

Stefan ignored him – as did everyone else.

Meanwhile, upstairs, Phoebe sat on her bed, pretending to be lost in thought, back to her closet. Dr. Martin stepped out of it, quietly, and snuck up behind her. When he was close enough, Phoebe turned around, and put him to sleep. The commotion caused everyone to come running into Phoebe's room. Bonnie ran to Dr. Martin to make sure he was okay, but Phoebe must not have been focused enough, because he woke up and grabbed Bonnie by the head. Bonnie screamed, and Anna snapped his neck. That was the end of Dr. Martin.

A short time later, and everyone scattered. They had to, before Jenna got home. Jeremy and Anna walked Bonnie home – and found out that Dr. Martin returned her powers before he died. Elena retreated to her room with Stefan, as did John. Damon took care of Jonas' body, after dealing with Luka's. And Phoebe and Hayley went back to the Boarding House – after having to deaths in one day occur in her room, Phoebe didn't feel much like staying in there.

Once Rick finally got Jenna home, he told her what she hadn't given him the chance to say yet: he loved her. He told her that there were things about her death that he couldn't tell her, but that she was dead. He told her that she was free to hate him for the secrets he had to keep from her, but he could at least say that he loved her.

Later that night, Stefan kept his promise to Phoebe and helped her get through what she did to Luka. Eventually, she felt well enough to fall asleep and he left her to sleep. Damon checked on her when he got home, but she was asleep by then, and Hayley shooed him away.

Meanwhile, Matt wakes up at Caroline's, freaked out by what happened at the Grill. Caroline – who's been trying to call Phoebe with no answer – tells Matt the truth about what happened. She tells him that he was dying and that she fed him her blood to save him, because she's a vampire and their blood has healing abilities. Unfortunately, Matt remembers Vicki claiming to have been attacked by one when she was in the hospital, and freaks out more. He accuses Caroline of killing his sister, and grows more and more agitated, despite Caroline's attempts to calm him down.

Back at the Gilbert house, Jenna answers a late-night knock on the door to find Isobel standing there, very much alive…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter took so long, guys – I know I say that almost every chapter, but I never mean to take this long writing them. I was trying so hard to find a way for Phoebe to feel free, but couldn't think of one. I was also trying to find the perfect song for Phoebe to sing. I wanted her to sing an Emily Kinney song – she has such an amazing voice and her songs are brilliant – but her first album didn't come out until 2011 (the current time in the story is 2010). Finally, on complete accident, I heard 'No More Wishing' playing on an episode of 'How I Met Your Mother', and it was just perfect! Shortly after that I gave up on trying to get Phoebe to feel free, and looked up the other emotions tied to air (freedom, boldness, and harmony). Phoebe is plenty bold, so I just focused on that instead.
> 
> Sometime in the midst of all that, I also watched the final season of Vampire Diaries (for the first time). I won't give away any spoilers for those of you who haven't seen it yet, but I will say this: it could have been better – in my opinion. The entire season could've been better, especially the end.
> 
> So what's Phoebe planning with the necklace? Why does she still keep the moonstone a secret? Will the others figure it out after what the Martins did? Will Phoebe be able to help Caroline deal with Matt? Or will she be too busy being kidnapped by Isobel? Will Matt turn to her for help in all this craziness?
> 
> What do you think so far? What do you think will happen next? What do you hope to see happen next?


	39. Know Thy Enemy

Jenna is horrorstruck to find Rick's, supposedly, dead wife standing on her doorstep. Isobel requested to be invited in, but Elena told Jenna not to. She slammed the door on Isobel's face, and turned her attention to Jenna. Although Isobel and Elena had never met before, Jenna could still tell from Elena's behavior that she had known Isobel was still alive.

Jenna questioned her about who else might know she was still alive: John, Rick, Phoebe? All Elena wanted to do was explain, but Jenna wouldn't hear it. Feeling betrayed, she ran up to her room, and slammed the door.

The next morning at the Boarding House, Phoebe makes breakfast in the kitchen, while Hayley makes the coffee. They're shortly joined by the Salvatore brothers brothers.

"Smells great," Stefan commented.

"Thank you," said Phoebe, showing off her pancake flipping skills.

"Show off," Damon grinned.

As Phoebe turned to grabbed something behind her, Damon caught sight of something hanging around Phoebe's neck. It was an emerald green heart, haloed by pewter roses.

"What's that?" he asked her, pointing.

Phoebe looked down at her shirt, pretending not to know what he was talking about, "What? Did I spill something on my shirt?"

"No," said Damon moving closer. He reached out, and grabbed the necklace, "This."

"Oh," said Phoebe. She took the necklace out of his hand, and turned back to the stove top, "It was just a gift."

It technically wasn't a lie. She shot a glance over to Hayley – something she knew Stefan and Damon were sure to notice.

"I saw that," said Damon.

"Saw what?" Phoebe shrugged.

"Come one, Phoebe, you're a terrible liar," said Stefan. "What's with the necklace?"

Phoebe looked at Hayley, who gave her a nod. Phoebe gave a heavy sigh, and stopped cooking, "It was a gift from Elijah. He gave it to me when we first started training. It's supposed to help me channel my powers. Apparently it's too dangerous to use them without this necklace to help me focus them, because then they'd go all over the place and we didn't have the several years of training for me to learn control without it...It's kinda like Harry Dresden and his blasting rod."

"Who?" Damon asked.

"He's a wizard/detective from a series of books," said Stefan. "They're actually pretty good."

Phoebe looked at him, impressed.

Damon waved his hand dismissively, "Okay, if Elijah gave you this when you first started training, why haven't I seen it before now?"

"Because if I had told you about it, you'd have taken it away from me so that I couldn't use my powers anymore. So I kept it in my pocket, instead of around my neck," said Phoebe. "I told you, it's too dangerous for me to use them without this talisman to help me channel and focus them."

"Wait, are you saying that the Martins were right? You could become an unstoppable force, if you use your powers?" Stefan questioned.

"With proper training, no," said Phoebe. "But if I try to use them for even the smallest of things without this necklace..."

"Well, let's just say instead of killing Klaus, she'd end up destroying all of Mystic Falls," Hayley finished.

The brothers were speechless. They had no idea she was that powerful. Katherine, on the other hand, smiled mischievously outside the kitchen. This knowledge could come in handy someday.

Before she could sit down to eat, Phoebe's phone rang. It was Elena. She told Phoebe all about Isobel showing up on the porch last night, and that it freaked Jenna out pretty bad. Phoebe asked her why she was only just now telling her, but Elena's defense made too much sense to get angry with her over: she wanted to give Jenna the night to process the information.

"I'm on my way home. Have you called Rick?" Phoebe asked her sister.

"No, I called you first," said Elena.

"I'll call him," Damon volunteered. He and Stefan heard the whole thing.

"Damon said he'll call him," Phoebe told her. She hung up shortly after.

"I'll drive you," Stefan volunteered, following her out of the kitchen. Elena had their car, so she needed the ride.

"Thanks," she replied.

Katherine blocked their path, as they headed for the door, "I don't think that you should tell Isobel that I'm here."

"What?" Stefan questioned. "Why?"

"It's better if she and John not know that I stayed in town, after I got out of the tomb," said Katherine.

Phoebe laughed, "Oh that ship has sailed. I told everyone who knew about you that you were still around when you decided to play dress up yesterday morning."

Phoebe proceeded out, and Stefan followed – shooting a gloating look at Katherine as he did.

Back at the Gilbert house, Rick arrives first, since he was closer than Phoebe and Stefan. Just as he and Elena try to figure out what to do, Jenna comes downstairs with a bag. She tells them that she can't stay there, so she'll be staying on campus for a few days. They both beg her to hear them out, but Jenna says she doesn't have it in her to hear more lies from them and leaves.

John comes out of the kitchen, and tells them to let her go, because it's better if she isn't there with everything that's going on. Rick punches him in the face, and leaves. Elena laughs, and tells John that this is all his fault.

Meanwhile in Stefan's Porsche, Caroline calls Phoebe, freaking out about Matt.

"I can't find him anywhere. He's not at home. He's not answering his phone," she told her.

"How could you let him go?" Stefan asked.

"My mom walked in, and he took off," said Caroline. "I don't know what to do."

"Did your mom hear anything?" Phoebe asked.

"No, she just thinks we're fighting," said Caroline. "But he knows about me, and he's freaking out about Vicki."

Phoebe closed her eyes, and threw her head back.

"What?" Stefan asked her.

"I completely forgot about Vicki," Phoebe answered. "After Damon attacked her the first time, she woke up in the hospital and told Matt that a vampire attacked her. But she never got the chance to describe him to Matt, before Stefan compelled her to think that it was an animal."

"Well, that would explain why he thinks I killed her," said Caroline.

"You know him better than anyone, what do you think we should do?" Stefan asked.

Phoebe sighed, "Leave him alone. Give him time to process. If we keep trying to call him or text him, he's just going to be freaked out more."

"But what if he tells someone?" Caroline questioned.

"I don't think he will," said Phoebe. "You said he left before you could tell him much of anything, so he doesn't know that I know about vampires and he doesn't know about the Council."

"So?" said Caroline.

"So Matt knows that no one is going to believe him, if he tries telling him that vampires are real – or at least, that's what he thinks, because he doesn't know anything about the Council," said Phoebe. "Just trust me. Give him some space, and I'll check on him later."

"How are you gonna check on him, if you can't even find him?" Stefan asked.

"I have to go to the Lockwoods' later to accept a check for the Historical Society, and Matt's supposed to be working at the event," said Phoebe. "Hopefully, he'll be there and I can talk to him."

"Let's hope so," Caroline agreed, and hung up.

As they pulled up to the Gilbert house, Stefan noticed Phoebe was so lost in thought she hadn't even noticed where they were. He reached over to touch her lightly – just enough to get her attention, "Hey."

Phoebe snapped back into the now, and dropped her necklace back to her chest – she'd been fiddling with it for a while now. She turned to him and smiled, "Sorry."

"Penny for your thoughts?" he asked.

Phoebe sighed, "I'm just wondering if I should be here or not. I mean, on one hand Aunt Jenna is freaking out about Isobel being very much alive, and on the other my best friend has just found out that vampires are very real...How do I decide who's more worthy of my time?"

"You can't think of it like that," said Stefan. "Both of them are equally important to you, Phoebe."

"I know that they both just need time to process, before they're ready to hear more, but...what if they both come around at the same time? Caroline cannot talk to Matt on her own, because she's a vampire. As far as he's concerned right now she killed his sister," said Phoebe. "But at the same time, I can't just leave Elena to talk to Aunt Jenna on her own."

Stefan could see she was heading towards a nervous ramble, so he stopped it before it began. He reached a hand out and placed it comfortingly on her lower arm, "Hey, listen to me. It's going to be alright. This is all going to work out, I promise you. And if it comes down to it, then I think you should choose to help Matt. Elena has Jeremy to help her with Jenna, but Matt only has you."

Feeling much better after their talk, Stefan and Phoebe headed inside. Elena told them that Jenna left shortly after Rick arrived – not long before they arrived – and that Rick punched John in the face. Something even Phoebe admitted he probably deserved. In return she and Stefan told her about Matt.

"This is bad," said Elena. "Between Isobel and John, and now Matt...this is disaster bad."

"Yeah," Stefan agreed, putting an arm around his girlfriend. "But we'll get through it."

"Phoebe. Elena. Can you two come downstairs, please? I need to talk to you," said John, appearing in the doorway.

Elena rolled her eyes, "I have nothing to say to you."

"Please," John pleaded. "It's important. You too, Stefan."

The three teenagers shared a look, then followed John downstairs. When they reached the ground floor, they found Isobel waiting for them outside on the back patio. Elena was surprised to see her there. Surprised she dared to show her face there, after last night.

"What are you doing here?" Phoebe challenged.

"I asked John for a do-over," Isobel replied.

"She has information about Klaus," said John. "Please, just hear her out."

"Alright. What do you know?" Stefan asked.

"Since I was last here, I've been doing everything possible to find Klaus," said Isobel. "We knew our best chance was to find him, before he could find you two."

"Best chance at what?" Stefan asked.

"Keeping Phoebe and Elena alive," John answered.

Stefan shared a look with Phoebe. Though Elena was keeping silent out of anger and frustration, he knew Phoebe was just observing Isobel for any sign that she was lying.

"Were you able to find Klaus?" Stefan asked her.

"No. Nobody knows where he is. But there are these rumors flying around that a doppelganger exists," Isobel explained.

"Which means that any vampire looking to gain favor with Klaus, will be lining up to capture Elena," John added.

Stefan looked at Phoebe, but she maintained her focus on Isobel.

"The last time you were here, you made it very clear that you didn't give a damn about me or Elena," said Phoebe. "And now you want us to believe that you're here to help keep us safe?"

"Isobel's been helping all along," said John. Elena gave John a skeptical look, but Phoebe kept her eyes on Isobel. "Klaus has been obsessed with finding Katherine for centuries. All it would take was any one of those 1864 tomb vampires to spread word around that Katherine's still alive, and it would bring him straight here to Mystic Falls, where you two were bound to be discovered. So we killed them."

"I have a safe house that I can take you to," said Isobel. "The deed is in your names, no vampires can get in without your permission...not even me."

Neither twin said a word.

"Let me help you," Isobel pleaded.

"You wanna help?" Elena asked, finally speaking up. "Then stay the hell away from me and my family."

Meanwhile, Damon, Anna, Jeremy, and Bonnie head to the Martins' apartment to search through their collected grimoires for s spell. When Jonas gave Bonnie her powers back, he gave her a message. If she can find the location of the witch massacre, then she can use this spell to harness the dead witches' energy to use when she needs.

After leaving the Gilbert house, Isobel returns to her new squatter house, where Katherine awaits her return. The two exchange pleasantries, and then Isobel informs her that she's been busy brokering a deal with Klaus to save Katherine's life.

The two crack open a bottle of wine – mixed with blood – and talk. Isobel admits – after being asked – that she dropped by the Gilbert house last night because she heard John was dating Jenna and she got jealous. She also admits that she's kept in touch with John, because he's been very useful in keeping her in the loop on things – because he thinks she's helping him keep the twins safe.

Katherine moves on to the part that concerns her, and asks what kind of deal she's brokered with Klaus. Isobel tells her that she couldn't get close to Klaus but she got in touch with one of his trusted witches. He told her that Klaus would be willing to grant Katherine her freedom in exchange for the doppelganger and the moonstone.

Katherine has no problem crossing Stefan and Damon, again. She'd been more than willing to play things there way, if it meant killing Klaus and living; but they were grasping at straws. Their witch had lost her powers, they'd allowed Phoebe to destroy the only weapon they had to kill an original, and now Elijah was gone. Katherine only had one more thing to add.

"Do you know about the myth that says the witches wanted to create something more powerful than Klaus, so it could kill him?" Katherine asked.

Isobel nodded, "Yes, but they decided it wasn't worth the price they'd have to pay. Why do you ask?"

"Because not all of the witches agreed. Someone made that anomaly," said Katherine.

Isobel was intrigued, "Where is it?"

"That's not important," she said. He lips spread into a mischievous grin. "What I wanna know is, what would Klaus say if you told him I could render that weapon powerless?"

Later at the Gilbert house, Phoebe got changed for the event at the Lockwoods', while they had Damon on speakerphone. She changed in the closet in order to hide her scars from her sister and Stefan – not to mention the obvious reason that Stefan was there.

"Do you really think that Isobel's telling the truth?" Elena asked. "I mean, that word's gotten out about the doppelganger?"

"Look, I don't trust a word that she says, but I think we'd be stupid to ignore the warning," said Stefan.

"You two should stay here," said Damon. "It's better for us to keep an eye on you."

Hayley – who had rejoined Phoebe at the Gilbert house – made a face, "You mean the house that any vampire can enter? Great idea!"

"Okay, then we'll stay there," Damon suggested.

"So is that they plan? Neither of you lets us out of your sight again?" Elena questioned.

"Let me know when you come up with a better one," said Damon.

Phoebe stuck her head out of her closet, "Look, Elena can stick with Stefan, and I'll be fine on my own. As long as I have my necklace, I'll be fine. And since we're the only ones that know about it..."

"What necklace?" Elena asked.

"Elijah gave her a necklace a while back that's supposed to help her better control her powers," Stefan explained. "Without it, she can't use her powers, because it would have devastating results."

Elena made a face of surprise at her sister. Phoebe stuck her head back inside her closet to finish changing.

"Epic cosmic powers or not, I don't like you being alone," said Damon.

"She won't be alone," said Hayley. "She's got me."

"That makes me feel much better," Damon replied sarcastically. Hayley rolled her eyes.

Phoebe exited the closet, wearing a blue, sleeveless, a-line cocktail dress – back still unzipped. She gestured for Hayley to help her, and lifted her hair. With a sigh, she replied, "I'll be fine, Damon, I promise."

"I'll feel better about that statement, when you stop getting yourself kidnapped," he responded.

"And I'll feel better when you stop treating me like a porcelain doll," she jabbed back, putting on her shoes.

Damon tried arguing back, but Phoebe and Hayley left to go the Lockwood Luncheon. It was a few minutes before Stefan and Elena even told him that she'd left.

Over at the Lockwoods', Carol Lockwood and Sheriff Forbes discuss the fire at the Grill. The Fire Marshall can't figure out how the fire got started, so they assume it must be supernatural related – specifically, vampires.

When Phoebe arrives, she tries asking Mrs. Lockwood if she's seen Matt, but she hasn't. She does ask Phoebe to ask Matt if he's heard from Tyler, when she finds him. Phoebe promises to let her know if he has. Unfortunately, the only word on Matt she has is Caroline's constant text messages. The only thing Phoebe can tell her, though, is that she'll help her find Matt after she accepts the check for the Historical Society.

Elsewhere, Damon and Anna take Jeremy and Bonnie to the location of the witch massacre. The witches let it be known that they don't like Damon and Anna being there, by trapping them in the sunlight and making their daylight jewelry go haywire. Damon and Anna accept that they aren't welcome, and wait outside, while Jeremy and Bonnie get to work inside.

Back at the Lockwoods', Phoebe walks around looking for Matt, but he finds her first. He grabs her and pulls her into a secluded area to talk.

"You have no idea how happy I am to see you," said Matt, checking to make sure no one saw him.

"Matt, where have you been? Caroline is freaking out," Phoebe replied.

" _She's_ freaking out?" Matt questioned. "I just found out my sister wasn't crazy, and _she's_ the one freaking out?"

In an effort to keep him on her side, Phoebe decided to play dumb, "What are you talking about?"

"Do you remember when Vicki woke up in the hospital and she said...she said a vampire attacked her?" he asked, seriously. Phoebe nodded. "Well, they're real. I mean, actually real, and Caroline...she's one of 'em."

Phoebe feigned shock, and pretended to be at a loss for words.

"I know, this is crazy, but I saw it, Phoebe," Matt swore. "She had fangs and her eyes did this thing...Pheebes, you of all people should believe me. I mean, you're one of the most open-minded people I know."

"Wow, that's...that's..."

Matt eyed her suspiciously, "You don't seemed very surprised."

"I'm just trying to process," said Phoebe.

"No, when you're trying to process, you get really excited and start looking around like you're looking at a really complex mathematical equation," Matt argued. "I mean, I didn't expect you to call me crazy or anything, but...oh, my god...you knew already."

"Matt-"

"You told me to keep hope. That she'd come home eventually," he said. "But you knew she was dead. You knew and you didn't tell me."

"No, I didn't know," Phoebe argued. "When I said that, I meant it. I had no idea that she was dead."

"But you knew it was vampires that killed her," he argued back. "Whether it was before or after, you knew that vampires were behind it, and you didn't tell me!"

"Because you weren't ready to hear it, Matt! Come on, think about it. If I had told you that a vampire killed your sister, you'd have called _me_ crazy and never spoke to me again!"

Matt couldn't argue with that. But at the same time he was too angry to be thinking very logically.

Phoebe carefully moved closer to her friend, "Matt, please listen to me. I will answer any and all questions you have, I promise. But you have to trust me."

Matt let her get close enough to touch him, and she used her mood control to try and calm him down. Unfortunately, that only freaked him out more. He jerked away from her and took off.

Meanwhile at the Boarding house, Katherine goes to work hunting the moonstone, while no one is home. She searches everywhere she can think – including Phoebe's room – but she can't find it. Fortunately for her, she finds the moonstone in a dish full of fancy soaps in Damon's bathroom, while washing her hands.

Elsewhere, Isobel pays a visit to Rick. She wants to tell him she's sorry for everything she's done and about to do. And she doesn't want it to end without him knowing that she loved him. She loved him so much, and she never stopped. After saying what she needs, she walks away, allowing a male witch to take him.

Back at the Lockwood manor, Carol Lockwood presents Phoebe with the check she's there to accept on her mother's behalf. While she does that, Isobel talks with John upstairs. He asks her what she's doing there. She tells him she's there to create a distraction, then kills him, and sends his body tumbling down the stairs.

Hayley runs over to see if her friend's father is okay, and what happened to him. Everyone else follows to see what's going on, but Phoebe is unable. While no one is looking, Katherine knocks her out, and swaps clothes with her – including her necklace. Once Hayley realizes that it's a distraction, she looks around for Phoebe, but can't find her anywhere. She's gone. Phoebe is laying unconscious in the backseat of Isobel's car.

Back at the witch house, Bonnie does what she needs to gain access to the power of the dead witches there, while outside Damon receives a bad phone call from Hayley. He's not happy to hear that she lost Phoebe, and that she fell for Isobel's distraction. He tells Anna where he's going, before taking off for the Lockwoods'.

Once there, he explains to Carol and Liz that John isn't actually dead. He tells them about John's ring protecting him from supernatural death, so even though he isn't breathing now, he will be in a few hours.

While Damon takes John's body back to his place, Liz gets to work on a cover story, as well as informing her deputies of a false alarm at the Lockwoods'. On her way out, she finds Matt waiting for her by her car, demanding to see his sister's file. Even though he doesn't know anything about the Council, he still knows that – as the Sheriff – she covered up the fact that his sister was killed by a vampire.

Sheriff Forbes tries her best to calm him down, but he's too enraged to even think about calming down, right now. This only earns himself being pinned down over a car, and an escort to the Sheriff's office.

After bringing John home, Damon goes upstairs to his room to get cleaned up – having gotten John's blood all over him. As he's changing his shirt, he realizes something odd...Katherine is nowhere to be found. Worried, he races to his bathroom to check the soap dish. The moonstone is gone.

Meanwhile in Isobel's car, Phoebe begins to wake up. She overhears a conversation between Isobel and Katherine.

"I'm sorry Katherine, I had to do what I was told," said Isobel. "He wanted you and the moonstone."

Phoebe's heart dropped. Could they have found the real moonstone? Or were they talking about the moonclone? At first Phoebe wanted to kick herself for giving a physiological reaction to hearing that they had the moonstone, but then she realized it was a good thing. If Isobel had heard her heart jump at what she'd heard, then it would only help her to believe that she had the right stone. Whereas, if Phoebe had given no reaction, she would know something was up.

Later at Caroline's, she returns home from looking for Matt, to find him waiting inside her house. She's excited to see that he's come back, but he's still uncomfortable around her. He tells her what happened with her mom – up to a point – but lies about her bringing him there to cool off before being called away. He tells Caroline that he wants to know more, and she makes the same promise Phoebe did.

Meanwhile, Bonnie, Anna, and Jeremy take their leave of the witch house. Jeremy asks her about the warning the witches gave her, and she tells him it's just a general warning to be careful with all the power she now has access to. Anna asks her exactly how much power does she have now, and Bonnie demonstrates.

Elsewhere, the Salvatore brothers go hunting for Phoebe – once again. Hayley wanted to go with them, but Damon was so angry he refused to let her. And Stefan left Elena at the Gilbert, with Hayley.

The brothers managed to locate Isobel's squatter house, but she wasn't there. With nothing around to help indicate where she went, they leave to try and find a lead. Meanwhile, Isobel and Phoebe arrive at their destination: Grove Hill Cemetery.

Phoebe followed her through the rows of headstones, "So what happened? Klaus compelled you to betray Katherine?"

"If I was, I couldn't tell you," Isobel replied, with a smile. She loved Phoebe's curiosity.

"So you did find Klaus," Phoebe guessed. "Is that where you're taking me? To see him?"

Isobel said nothing. She stopped in front of a tombstone, and knelt down. As she brushed away the leaves, Phoebe saw that it was her grave. Isobel's.

"My parents, your grandparents, they put it here when it became clear that the police weren't gonna find my body," Isobel told her. "They visit every week, and they bring flowers, even though there's no one buried here."

Phoebe began to feel strange. Anytime she'd ever had to deal with Isobel or even think about her she became angry. But now...now she felt for her. Not sorry for her, but felt a sense of understanding, or at least the beginnings of it.

"The Isobel they knew is dead," she went on. "So maybe there's a part of me that's buried here. The – The human part, the part that I abandoned when I...when I chose to become a vampire, the part that used to dream about the day that she'd know her daughters. You especially."

Phoebe looked at her surprised.

"I've always felt closer to you, Phoebe. I mean, I know I haven't spent much time with either of you – Elena especially – but you...you were always the one I felt a real connection to," she said. "From the moment I first held you in my arms, I knew you'd be something special. And when John started showing me photos and telling me about you both, I knew I was right. You are so much like me, Phoebe. The old me, the human me. So curious about the world around you."

Phoebe didn't know what to say. She'd never expected to see this side of Isobel.

Isobel shrugged, "And instead you got to meet the other part. The part that would betray her own flesh and blood."

Isobel received a call on her phone. At the end of the conversation, Isobel gave a sigh of relief. Something felt off to Phoebe, and she became more alert.

"Who was that?" Phoebe asked.

"I'm so sorry, Phoebe. That I was such a disappointment to you," she replied. Isobel's eyes began to water, "I'm so proud of you. Of the woman you're becoming. Just know that."

Phoebe choked back tears. As she did, she caught a glimpse of Isobel reaching up to grab her necklace. She yanked it off, but before she could throw it, Phoebe lunged forward and grabbed her hand.

"Please, don't do this. Don't give up. Not now," Phoebe pleaded, holding the necklace in Isobel's hand.

"I can't fight it, Phoebe...I'm sorry," Isobel sobbed.

Phoebe's eyes watered, "Yes, you can, just try."

"I can't," Isobel maintained. She shoved Phoebe away, necklace falling to the ground.

As Isobel was engulfed in flames, tears streamed down Phoebe's face. It only worsened at the sound of Isobel screaming, as she died. After a while, Phoebe called Damon to tell him where she was.

Later that night, Caroline finished telling Matt everything. He was still upset about it all. He hated the way he looked at Caroline, and he hated the feeling of betrayal he had towards Phoebe. So he begged Caroline to make him forget everything, like she had before. She wasn't happy about it, but she did as he asked.

Meanwhile, Phoebe sits in her room at the Boarding house with her sister, while Hayley watched from the doorway. John still asleep on Phoebe's bed.

"How are they holding up?" Stefan asked, joining her.

"As well as can be expected," she sighed. "I don't think either one of them ever expected to feel bad about her being dead."

Stefan nodded sideways, "She was their mother. And in the end Phoebe got to see that side of her that is allowing them to feel bad about her death right now."

Hayley nodded in agreement, "Here's what I don't get. Why did they let her go? Why did they even take Phoebe in the first place? I mean, Elena's the doppelganger."

"Well, anything that John or Katherine told Isobel, we have to assume Klaus knows, right?" Stefan replied. Hayley nodded. "So we have to assume that Klaus knows about Phoebe's necklace. Without it, she's no threat. And he knows Elena isn't gonna turn herself into a vampire, like Katherine did. He knows that they have us keeping them safe."

"And he knows they're not gonna run," Hayley finished.

"Which is why we need to take some precautions," said Damon, joining the party.

"Like what?" Hayley asked.

"Isobel had the right idea with the safe house," said Damon. "All we have to do is sign our house over to the girls, and keep them here until it's all over."

"This way they can control who gets invited in and who doesn't," Stefan added.

"Good plan," Hayley admitted. "But if you two seriously think Phoebe and Elena will hide away in this house until 'it's all over', you're seriously mistaken."

Before either brother could argue, John shot up in Phoebe's bed, gasping for air. Once he realized where he was, he stood up off the bed. Damon flitted over and lifted him by his jacket.

"I swear I had no idea what she was gonna do," John pleaded. "I'm sorry."

"Damon, put him down," Phoebe ordered, walking over to him. "I've already lost my third parent today, I don't wanna make four."

Damon reluctantly put him down, and the twins ushered everyone out so they could talk to their father in private.

Meanwhile at the Gilbert house, Jeremy decides to translate that witch warning anyways, and finds it's much more than just a simple warning. It says that Bonnie will die if she uses too much of her power. Anna tries to explain that it's Bonnie's life to do with as she pleases, but that only angers Jeremy more. He hates the whole situation. Before it was a matter of which sister is to die so the other could live, but now it's another option of death, only someone that isn't his sister.

Elsewhere, Matt meets up with Sheriff Forbes. The two discuss what Caroline told him – revealing that Matt drank vervain before talking to Caroline. Matt mentions that he feels like Caroline died, and as she begins to cry, Liz confirms that she did.

Back at the Boarding house, John and the twins talk alone.

"I always knew she and Katherine were close, but I never realized that Isobel and her were working against me," said John, after hearing what had happened while he was out. "Two of the world's most uncaring and selfish vampires, and yet they were genuinely friends."

"If that's what you thought of her, then why did you ever put your trust in her at all?" Elena questioned.

"Because I was there when she gave birth to you two," he replied. "I saw how heartbroken she was to give you two up."

Elena swallowed the lump that was building in her throat.

"And because she was the first girl I ever loved, and when she said she'd help keep you safe...I believed her," said John. "At this point, I will do whatever you want me to do. If you feel safer with me not around, then I'll go."

Phoebe looked at Elena. As angry as she was with their father, it was pretty clear where she stood on the matter.

Elena exhaled sharply, "You screw up everything, John."

John said nothing.

She looked at Phoebe and added, "But you're the only parent we have left. So maybe I can learn not to hate you."

John hid a smile, "Okay."

"But no more trying to kill the people we care about, okay?" Phoebe added. "I don't know if you knew about the dagger killing Damon or not, and I don't care. From here on out, you don't hurt him or anyone else again. If he can refrain from killing you for me, I think you can do the same."

John nodded, "Okay."

Meanwhile, Damon and Stefan share a drink in the study with Hayley. Damon informs him that Bonnie was successful in harnessing the power of the dead witches, and Hayley remarks that at least something went right today. After a moment, Stefan adds that Bonnie is now their secret weapon; because Katherine has no idea that Bonnie has her powers back, and Isobel had no idea what Damon took Bonnie to do today. That means Klaus doesn't know anything about that. Little did they know, they actually had two secret weapons.

While the brothers celebrate having a secret weapon from Klaus, Klaus prepares for a reconnaissance mission by having his witch help him temporarily possess Rick's body...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I'm sorry again for the long wait. I know that's probably getting annoying to hear me say. I guess I should just accept the fact that it's going to take me a bit to finish a chapter from now on. But thank you guys so much for the support and motivation. It really makes a difference to see all the reviews you guys leave.
> 
> So I wanted to have Klaus possess Matt instead of Rick, but after much deliberation I realized I couldn't do it. Rick is in the inner circle with everyone. Matt isn't. Matt may be able to get closer to Phoebe, but if Klaus wants to find anything out about their plans to fight him, Rick is the better option, so I had to 86 that idea.
> 
> Did you guys like what I had Phoebe do with the necklace? Will Phoebe tell the others about the necklace thing being a lie? Do you think Klaus will believe it? Do you think Phoebe will figure out that Klaus is in Rick's body before the dance? When is Phoebe going to tell everyone else that the moonstone Klaus has isn't real? Will Klaus figure it out?
> 
> What do you think so far? What do you think will happen in the future? What do you hope to see in the future?


	40. The Last Dance

Chapter 40: The Last Dance

It's been about two weeks since Isobel's death, and the girls were adjusting just fine. Ricklaus had chosen to isolate himself in Rick's apartment while he gathered information on everyone from Katherine. He told everyone that he had the flu, but everyone just assumed he needed time to deal with the fact that his wife actually was dead, now, and that his girlfriend was still avoiding everyone. The only reason Damon didn't even try to drop by and cheer his friend up, was because he was too preoccupied keeping an eye on Phoebe. After she was kidnapped by Isobel on Hayley's watch, he did his best never to leave her alone with her.

Bonnie practiced with her magic almost every day, as did Phoebe. She and Hayley were no longer able to sneak away to the woods during the day, so they worked on her powers in her room – without Elijah – and reported her progress to Elijah. Phoebe also informed Elijah of her brilliant plan to fool everyone into thinking she could no longer use her powers, without her necklace. She told him where the necklace had really come from, and that the nod Hayley had given her in the kitchen that morning wasn't encouragement to tell the truth, but to let her know that Katherine was within hearing range. The girls had known that if Katherine overheard them talking about it she'd find a way of taking the necklace from Phoebe to earn favor with Klaus, and that meant that Klaus would think Phoebe was powerless.

In the two weeks that had passed, Damon and Stefan had also completely signed over the Boarding House to Phoebe and Elena. While the girls signed the papers inside the house, the brothers waited outside. They talked about the possibility of Bonnie doing a locator spell on Klaus, but she'd need something that belonged to him for that to work. They also wondered if Klaus had killed Katherine, once he finally had her again.

"Thank you, Mr. Henry," said Elena, seeing the realtor out.

The girls walked away from the door, and the brothers tried their best to follow. Unfortunately, neither twin had invited them in, yet, so they were stopped at the door. Phoebe and Elena turned back to the door, smiling.

"I'm sorry," said Elena.

"We completely forgot," said Phoebe.

"Stefan," Elena began. "Would you like to come inside my house?"

"I would love to," Stefan replied. He stepped inside, "Thank you."

Phoebe smiled at Damon.

"What are we, 12?" Damon grinned.

"If I let you in, do you promise to stop treating me like a porcelain doll, and to respect my wishes?" Phoebe asked him.

Damon made a face, "No."

"Damon, I'm serious," she said. "I agreed to let you keep an eye on me and protect me, since I lost my necklace. The least you can do is promise to trust me, and respect my wishes on things."

Damon looked around uncomfortably, and sighed, "Fine. Whatever you want, Phoebe."

Phoebe smiled and gestured for him to come inside, "Then please, come in."

Damon came inside, and Elena prepared to leave for school. Both of the brothers argued against it, but Elena was very adamant. She refused to cower in their house all day every day. So with that, Stefan had no choice but to follow her to school to keep an eye on her. Damon was just happy that Phoebe wasn't arguing to leave the house, too. But that day came about a week later, when she and Hayley volunteered to help the high school set up for the upcoming Decade Dance.

"We didn't create a safe house for you and your sister to keep leaving it," Damon argued.

"Damon, if I don't get out of this house for a little while, I'm going to lose what little sanity I have left," said Phoebe, as she tied her shoes.

"Then I'm coming with you," he said.

Phoebe stood up from the living room couch, and held up a hand, "Only if you promise not to hover the whole time."

Damon rolled his eyes, "I promise."

He tried to head for the door, but Hayley blocked his path, "Uh, don't you think you should tell him, _before_ we get there?"

"Actually, I was hoping the upcoming Decade Dance would take everyone's attention away from that, and so there would be no more fliers around for him to see," Phoebe replied, awkwardly.

"What fliers?" he asked. "What don't I know?"

Phoebe fiddled with the hem of her shirt, and smiled nervously, "I was nominated for cutest couple at school...and won..."

Damon turned to face her, "You and who?"

"I'm sorry, what?" Phoebe asked, pretending she hadn't heard him.

He moved closer to her, "Well, a couple is two, so to win cutest couple there has to be more than just you. So who else won it with you?"

Phoebe looked at Hayley, who was doing her best to hide her amusement at the scene playing out in front of her, "...No one! Just me, myself, and I. Technically that's three not two, but – eh – you get the point. I'm always just by myself, so – haha – there's the joke. Now, let's go, we're gonna be late."

She said it all very quickly, and tried to walk passed Damon, but he grabbed her, "Hang on. You're always hanging out with Donovan...Did you and Matt Donovan win cutest couple?"

Phoebe made a gesture with her free hand, "You guessed it. Me and Matt won."

"Phoebe," Hayley said warningly. "He's gonna find out, eventually. Especially if he's going to the high school with us. Just show him."

Phoebe exhaled sharply, and pulled out her phone. She pulled up the image of a flier that Anna had sent her, and showed it to Damon. A grin played on his lips, but he forced it back.

He cleared his throat and handed Phoebe's phone back over, "Well, then. All the more reason for us to make an appearance. Shall we?"

As calm as he was about the whole thing, Phoebe couldn't help but get the feeling that he was going to make her regret telling him.

The only other significant thing to happen over the last two weeks was Matt's acting gig. He had a hard time with it, and constantly wondered when Sheriff Forbes was gonna do something about the fact that their town was full of supernatural creatures. But she was having a hard time making any solid decisions on her own, because she wasn't sure who she could trust anymore.

On the day of the dance, Ricklaus finally decided to come out of hiding and put his newfound knowledge to use. He double-checked with Katherine to make sure that he knew everything he needed to. She'd told him that – as far as she knew – Bonnie didn't have powers anymore, and Phoebe couldn't use her powers without the necklace she'd stolen from her – not that it matter much, because she'd supposedly stopped practicing when Elijah left town.

She'd told him about Phoebe destroying the dagger for Elijah; and warned him that she was very smart and observant, so to be mindful of what he said or did around her. However, Ricklaus believes the lie Phoebe told about not being able to use her powers without her necklace – because an anomaly contains a vast about of power, that would normally require anyone to spend years mastering – so he sees no need to be too cautious with his words around her.

Before leaving the apartment, Ricklaus compels Katherine to stab herself in the leg repeatedly, until he returns. Katherine begs for death, but Ricklaus refuses. He tells her that he spent 500 years looking for her, so her death is going to last at least half that long.

Phoebe was the first twin he saw, when he arrived at the high school. She was there with Hayley and Damon, again, working on decorations for the dance. When he saw her she was painting a banner, and talking to Damon. Her hair was pinned up in a messy bun to help keep her hair out of the paint, and she had on a pair of prescription sunglasses. She was wearing jean shorts with tights, and her "I'm with Genius" t-shirt. She had paint all over her, but she didn't seem to mind.

As he continued to stare, Hayley returned with sodas for the three of them. Phoebe slid her paintbrush into her hair, and opened her drink.

"What's all this?" Ricklaus asked, approached their table.

Phoebe looked over at Ricklaus, expecting to see someone else there, for the voice she'd heard was not Rick's. The voice she heard had an English accent. But she shrugged it off as her hearing wrong, what with all the background noise.

"Rick, buddy. Feeling better?" Damon asked.

Ricklaus smiled, "Much, thank you. What's with all the 60s decor?"

"It's for the Decade Dance tonight," Hayley replied.

"It's 60s themed," Phoebe added.

"Ah, yes. The 60s...not my best decade," Ricklaus mumbled.

Phoebe smiled at first, but then a thought hit her: Rick was born in the 70s.

" _Maybe he just meant to say it's not his favorite decade,"_ Phoebe thought to herself. _"He probably just means he hasn't studied it as well as the others, because he doesn't particularly like it."_

"Yeah, it wasn't my best decade, either," Damon agreed. He held up two fingers and imitated a stoner hippie's voice, "Peace, man."

Phoebe laughed.

"Yeah, the 60s, well...sucked," said Ricklaus. "Except for the Beatles, they made it bearable."

"Oh, come on, they weren't the only good music to come out of the 60s," Phoebe argued. "Dion was amazing."

"Dion sang break up songs, and silly love songs." he argued back. "All the songs from that day were about break ups and 'my boyfriend's gonna beat you up'."

"The Beatles sang silly love songs, too," said Phoebe.

Ricklaus shook his head dismissively, "It's a useless argument, the 60s were before your time."

"They were before yours, too," said Phoebe.

Ricklaus became nervous. He hadn't particularly cared about her eventually finding out who he was, but he didn't want her to out him this soon.

Phoebe observed his discomfort for a moment, before telling him, "I'll prove you wrong. I'll find a song from the 60s that's not a love song, a break up song, or a 'my boyfriend's gonna beat you up' song."

"Good luck with that," said Ricklaus, and he headed for class.

Elsewhere, Matt keeps up the rouse of a good boyfriend with Caroline. He walks up to her and plants a kiss on her, and tells her he's found a suit to wear to the Decade Dance that night – Caroline wants him to dress up as JFK, while she dresses up as Jackie O.

Later on at lunch, Anna continues to play devil's advocate with Bonnie and Jeremy. Jeremy still thinks Bonnie should tell Elena that killing Klaus will kill her too, but Bonnie still maintains that it's her life to give for saving the people she loves.

Elena joins there table, thus ending the argument – or at least, putting a pause to it. Jeremy left the table, and Elena sat down.

"What's with him?" she asked.

"I told him he had to dress up tonight, and he got all uptight," Anna lied. "You know teenage boys and dances."

Elena laughed and nodded, "Yeah, Stefan doesn't wanna go, either."

"Yeah, but that's mostly because he wants to keep you at the Boarding House where you're safe," said Bonnie.

"True," Elena agreed.

"Ugh. I'm starving," Phoebe complained, taking a seat next to her sister. Hayley took a seat on her other side – both had trays of food that they quickly dug into.

"Caroline been working you two that hard, huh?" Bonnie joked.

"You have no idea," said Hayley.

"But it's better than being stuck at the Boarding House all day," Phoebe added.

"That's debatable," Hayley argued.

Bonnie and Elena laughed.

"Hey, Phoebe, there you are," said Dana, rushing over to the table. She was fellow student that had been helping with the decorations.

"Here she is," Anna joked.

"Okay. This is gonna sound freaky, but this totally hot guy just asked me to ask you if you're going to the dance tonight," said Dana.

Phoebe shared a look with her sister.

Hayley cleared her throat, "Tell him she already has a date. Or has he not seen the fliers?"

Phoebe playfully shoved her friend, as they all laughed.

"You could at least meet with him," Dana pressed. "He'll be at the dance tonight. Look for him. His name is Klaus."

The smiles quickly faded from their faces.

"What did you just say?" Elena asked.

Dana became confused, "His name is Klaus."

The five girls all shared looks of concern.

"I know the name's stupid, but I swear he's hot," Dana went on.

"Where is he? Is he here?" Bonnie asked, looking around.

Dana looked as though she'd forgotten something, "I don't know."

"She's been compelled," said Anna.

Dana quickly recovered, "But he wants to know if you'll save him the last dance. How cute is that?"

Phoebe looked Dana in the eye, "Tell him I said I'll be there. But if he wants a dance from me, he's gonna have to ask me himself."

Later at the Boarding House, the girls tell Damon and Stefan about Klaus.

"So we go to the dance, and we find him," said Damon.

"Really? How are we gonna do that?" Stefan asked. "We don't even know what he looks like."

Phoebe dug in her bag, pulling out her sketch book.

"Something tells me he's not gonna be sixteen and pimply," said Damon.

"He could be anywhere at any time. He compelled somebody at school," Stefan argued. He turned to the girls, and looked at them like a disappointed father, "I guess it's not as safe as you guys thought, huh?"

Phoebe found the sketch she was looking for, just as Ricklaus knocked on the front door. He stepped inside and Phoebe could have sworn he was the man in her sketch, for a moment. But in the time it took her to blink, he looked like Rick again.

"There you are," said Damon.

"Sorry, I'm late," said Ricklaus, walking over.

"Hey, I need you to put me down as a chaperone at the dance tonight," said Damon. "Klaus made his first move."

Phoebe noted that Ricklaus didn't seem all that surprised by the news. To further test a theory, she handed her sketch to Ricklaus. It was a picture of himself, in his own body. The image was from over a thousand years ago, when he had long blond hair and wore Viking clothes. He looked happy. Truly happy. Something he hadn't seen on his own face for some time.

He tried to hide his reaction, but couldn't. Not from Phoebe. He cleared his throat, "What's this?"

"Klaus," said Phoebe.

"Elijah give you this?" he asked.

"Nope. I drew myself," said Phoebe, not taking her eyes off of him.

"He must've at least described him to you," said Ricklaus. "I mean, how else could you know what Klaus looked like over a thousand years ago?"

Phoebe took the sketch away from Ricklaus and passed it around, "When Elijah was still here, he helped me use divination to look into the past and see what Klaus looked like."

"So you weren't lying when you told Katherine you knew what he looked like," said Anna, passing the sketch. Phoebe shook her head.

"Okay, so we find him and then what, hmm?" Elena asked. "What's our plan of attack?"

"Me," said Bonnie. "I'm the plan. He has no idea how much power I can channel. If you can find him, I can kill him."

Ricklaus became uncomfortable – Phoebe noticed, "It's not gonna be that easy. I mean, he is the biggest, baddest vampire around."

"Alaric has a point. I mean, what if he-," Damon began. He stopped mid-sentence to try attacking Bonnie, but she sent him flying across the room.

"Well, I was impressed," Stefan joked.

The girls laughed, but Ricklaus looked unnerved. Something else Phoebe took notice of.

"It doesn't matter if he's an original," said Bonnie. "I can take down anyone who comes at me. I can kill him, Elena. I know I can."

"Okay, then. Let's get ready for a dance," said Hayley.

Riklaus returned to Rick's apartment, where he and his witch made plans to remove Bonnie from the equation. His witch advised him to get Bonnie to exert all of her power, because she wouldn't be able to survive it. He can give Ricklaus extra protection to survive her attacks, so he can continue to provoke her into burning herself out.

Back at the Salvatore Boarding house, everyone got ready for the dance. Hayley, Anna, and the twins dug through the boxes in the attic to find something to wear for the dance, while the brothers dug out something to wear themselves. Stefan just threw on a simple suit; while Damon threw on black, leather pants, and a black, long sleeved shirt that only buttoned in a couple of places – thus reveal a nice view of his bare chest.

Three of the four girls grabbed dresses to wear. Hayley was the only one to grab a simple brown, suede vest with a fringe hem. She planned to wear that over a plain t-shirt with shorts and her boots.

Anna and Elena each found mini dresses with your typical bell sleeves. Elena's had a matching belt, but Anna's didn't. Each dress was also a different color and design. Elena found a pair of go-go boots to go with her dress, while Anna grabbed a pair of nice pumps.

Phoebe's dress was also a mini dress, but it had balloon sleeves – not too poofy – instead of bell shaped. It had an empire waist, and was white in color. Like Hayley, she didn't need any special shoes to go with it, she chose to wear her black, low-top converse.

After finding their outfits, the girls returned to their respective rooms to get ready. Phoebe did her and Hayley's hair similarly. She left Hayley's mostly down, with the typical 60s hair bump – she left her own completely down with the hair bump. Phoebe also gave them both cat eyes, adding an extra line of white on her own – to match her dress.

Phoebe did it all as quickly as she could, so she could make a phone call. She turned put music playing on the new stereo system Damon had gotten her – to replace the one he'd broken – and walked out onto the balcony.

"Is everything alright?" Elijah asked, answering the phone. He knew that Phoebe couldn't risk calling him with Damon hovering over her, so it had to be an emergency.

"I don't know. That's why I'm calling," said Phoebe. "Rick's been acting weird today. Not like himself."

"I'm not sure-," he began.

"There's more," Phoebe interrupted. Elijah remained silent, signifying she could continue. "When Rick approached us this morning, I swear he had an English accent. And then when he dropped by the Boarding House earlier, I swear I saw..."

Elijah waited for her to continue, but she seemed unable to say it, "Saw what?"

"I thought I saw Klaus," she said. Elijah was silent. "Is there, like, some way one of his witches could put some kind of illusion spell on him to make him look like Rick?"

"Your hypersensitivity must allow you to see his true face," he mumbled.

"So is that a yes?" Phoebe asked, looking around nervously.

"No. Klaus isn't spelled to _look_ like Mr. Saltzman, he _is_ Mr. Saltzman," Elijah corrected.

"Explain."

"It's one of Klaus' favorite tricks. He has a witch help him temporarily possess another's body," he explained. "Now, though he is bound by the same limitations of the individual's body, he still retains the ability to compel others."

"There was a girl at school today that was compelled," said Phoebe. "She said a boy named Klaus sent her to ask me if I'd save a dance for him tonight at the Decade Dance."

"I'm on my way," said Elijah.

"What good is that gonna do?" Phoebe questioned. "By the time you get here, the dance will be over."

"Then what do you suggest?" Elijah asked her.

Phoebe looked at Hayley, who was keeping watch for her, "I'm not strong enough to kill Klaus. I can't protect them, because I haven't finished my training...Come get me."

"Are you certain this is what you want?"

"Yes. The next full moon is only two days away, and I still have one more element to learn," she said. "Come to Mystic Falls. I'll be coming back to the Boarding House after the dance. I'll meet you down the street a ways, so no one follows us."

"What about Klaus?" he asked.

"If he really is in Rick's body, he knows that Bonnie has her powers back, and that she's channeling 100 dead witches. And if he has a witch with him to help him, they'll probably tell him the same thing you told me," said Phoebe. "Bonnie can't survive using the amount of power required to kill Klaus. And if Klaus knows that-"

"Then he'll probably try to get her out of the way, by baiting her into using her power on him, until she dies," Elijah finished.

"But wouldn't that kill Rick?" Phoebe asked.

"Not if his witch uses a spell to help him withstand her attack," said Elijah. "He won't be entire invulnerable, but he will be able to last longer than she will."

Phoebe began to pace, "Is there any way we can trick Klaus into thinking that Bonnie's dead, without her actually dying?"

"Klaus would never fall for such a rouse. He's too smart," said Elijah.

"He fell for the whole necklace thing," Phoebe argued.

"We don't know that for sure. For all we know, he could be planning to take you out, as well, tonight. After all, it was you he was requesting a dance from," said Elijah.

Phoebe grew more frustrated, and had to focus to keep her voice down, "Well, there has to be something we can do, Elijah! There has to be some way of faking her death, that he'll actually believe."

Elijah could tell this was important to her, so he took a moment to really think. He soon came up with an idea, "I believe I may have a way. Though it would require you to keep this from your friends, for their reactions are what will help convince Klaus that Miss Bennett is truly dead."

"I'm all ears."

While Elijah informed Phoebe of his idea, Caroline put the finishing touches on her outfit, before Matt arrived. Her mom arrived just a few minutes before Matt, but Caroline didn't think anything of it. She even noted that something was up with her mom, but believed her when she said it was only work stress.

Ricklaus was the first to arrive at the dance, which was good for him, because he wanted to set something up for Phoebe and her friends. The moment they all arrived, Phoebe began scanning the crowd for Dana. If Klaus wanted to play games, Phoebe could play one right back.

She spotted Dana, and excused herself from the group, though they all still kept a close eye – in some cases, an ear – on her. Unfortunately, with all the noise, vampire hearing was rendered useless, so all they knew for sure was Phoebe was whispering something into Dana's ear.

Dana smiled in awe, and walked over to the stage. Phoebe returned to the group, and watched Dana, as she made an announcement.

"Thanks for being here, everybody," said Dana. Everyone applauded. "We have a special shout-out tonight. This is for Klaus. From Phoebe."

Everyone applauded, again. She smiled and avoided looking at Ricklaus as the song 'Last Kiss' by The Cavaliers began to play. Her friends just stared at her in confusion.

"What?" she asked.

"What's with the shout-out?" Damon asked.

Phoebe shrugged, "Just returning the favor from earlier."

Everyone was silent.

"It's a dance, people. Blend. Let him come to us." Phoebe told them. She grabbed Damon's hand, and led him out to the dance floor.

Anna pulled Jeremy away to another area of the floor, while Bonnie and Hayley went their separate ways. Stefan held out a hand to Elena, and the two began to dance where they were.

Damon put his arms around Phoebe, and they began to sway, "A bit depressing, don't ya think?"

"What?"

"The song," he clarified. "It's depressing."

"Really? I think it's sweet," said Phoebe.

Damon made a face, "How is it sweet? They get into a car crash, and the girl dies."

"Yes, and he promises to be good so he can see her again in heaven, someday," she argued. Damon spun her out, then pulled her back in. "She also got to die in the arms of the man she loves. I can't think of a better place to be."

As the song ended, Damon looked down at Phoebe and couldn't help but smile, "Have I told you how beautiful you look, yet?"

Phoebe pretended to think, "Mmm, not recently."

Damon wanted to kiss her, but before he could make a move the song changed to a more upbeat one, and Phoebe pulled away to dance to it.

"So how are you doing with this whole Klaus thing?" he asked.

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't at least a little unnerved," she admitted. "You?"

"Cool as a cucumber," he lied. Phoebe gave him a look. "Come on, remember the last Decade Dance? The vampires were all 'AHH!' and you were all 'AAHH! DAMON, HELP ME!'"

Phoebe did her best not to laugh, "I did not say that."

"My point is, Phoebe," he began, spinning her out. He pulled her back in, and looked down at her – their faces were mere inches apart, "We won."

"Yes, we did," she replied, looking into his eyes.

Again, Damon wanted to move in and kiss her, but she moved before he could. This time, however, she moved towards him instead of away. Phoebe leaned in and pressed her lips against Damon's, and for a moment they forgot all about Klaus.

Meanwhile, Caroline arrives with Matt. Elena spots them after a little while, and leaves Stefan to tell Caroline what's going on. Shortly after, Damon excused himself to talk to Bonnie. He'd overheard Anna and Jeremy talking about Bonnie's power problem one night, and wanted to know if it was true. Bonnie told him it was, but doesn't want anyone else to know, because they'll try to stop her. Damon promises to keep her secret. He'd do anything to keep Phoebe safe.

While Damon danced with Phoebe joined Stefan by the punch bowl.

"Your date bail on you, too?" Stefan joked.

Phoebe smiled, "Yep."

Stefan put down his drink, and held out a hand, "Wanna dance?"

"I thought you hated to dance," she remarked.

Stefan shrugged, "It's better than standing here, worrying about Klaus."

Phoebe took his hand, "You make a fair point, Mr. Salvatore."

"High praise coming from you," he joked, leading her out.

Phoebe glanced over at Damon with Bonnie, as she started to dance with Stefan. He seemed pretty focused on his dance with Bonnie, as well as whatever they were talking about. She was curious, but she put it out of her mind and enjoyed her dance with Stefan to Roy Obison's 'Pretty Woman'.

At the end of the song, Phoebe noticed her brother and Anna arguing. Stefan followed her gaze.

"What's up with them?" he asked.

"I was just about to ask you," said Phoebe. "You're the one with supernatural hearing."

"It doesn't work in here. There's too much noise," said Stefan.

Jeremy and Anna's argument ended with Jeremy walking away, and going into one of the halls. Phoebe followed her brother, while Stefan went to talk to Anna.

"Jer! Wait up," Phoebe called after him.

"Don't worry, I've got my ring," he told her.

"That's not why I followed you out here," she told him. "I saw you and Anna fighting. Feel free to tell me it's none of my business, but if you wanna talk about it, I'm here."

Jeremy took a breath, "We were fighting about Bonnie."

Phoebe had an idea of what he meant, but still played dumb, "Okay?"

"No, not like that. I'm not...If Bonnie takes on Klaus, channeling all that energy is gonna kill her," he admitted.

Phoebe feigned shock, "What?"

"But she doesn't want Elena to know, 'cause if Elena knows, she's gonna try to stop her...and then it's Elena that could turn up dead, so..."

Phoebe embraced her brother. Mostly because he looked like he needed it, and partly because it hid her face so he couldn't tell she wasn't actually surprised by this bit of news – she wanted to avoid a repeat of Matt.

"Anna keeps telling me that it's her life, and that I should respect that, but I know Elena would wanna know. What am I supposed to do, Phoebe?" Jeremy asked, still holding his sister.

Phoebe pulled away, "Anna is right, it's Bonnie's life. But you're also right. Elena would wanna know. She deserves to know...You have to tell Elena."

Jeremy nodded.

It was the best way to get Bonnie alone – or as alone as she could get at a dance. Klaus would want her alone, before he began trying to provoke her, and there were only so many options he had that would _not_ arouse suspicion. Not to mention, this way meant no other vampire escorts. It also meant that Phoebe could have more time to train with Elijah and build up her own power, because there was no way Elena would allow Bonnie to die for her.

But this was more than just a part of the plan, or a convenient wrench in the machine. Phoebe really did believe that Elena had the right to know what Bonnie was getting into. She knew that if it were Matt, or Hayley, or Stefan willingly laying their life down for her she'd wanna know about it _before_ they gave their lives.

"Take a minute to think and gather up the will power, strength, or whatever it is you need to be able to tell her," she advised.

Jeremy nodded again, and Phoebe left him to return to the dance. There was someone else she wanted to talk to, before everything went to hell.

She spotted him almost instantly, standing alone in a crowd of teenagers. She took a deep breath to brace herself, and headed over.

"So did you like it?" Phoebe asked him, as she neared.

Ricklaus turned to face her, "Like what?"

"The song I picked," she told him. Ricklaus looked at her cautiously. "I mean, it was admittingly a little depressing, but it wasn't a love song, a break up song, or a boyfriend beating song."

Ricklaus breathed a small sigh of relief – she clearly still thought he was Rick.

"Right," he replied. "Well, it would appear that you've won our bet after all. Congratulations."

"Thank you," she beamed. "What's my prize?"

"What would you like?" he asked.

"You could always give me my necklace back," she replied.

Ricklaus looked down at her, "And what necklace would that be?"

"The one – I'm sure Katherine's told you by now – helps me control my powers," said Phoebe. "I'd really like to have it back."

"Yes, I'm sure you would," he smiled. "Unfortunately, that is never going to happen."

Phoebe shrugged, "Can't blame a girl for trying."

"So who else have you told?" he asked, looking around.

"No one. Not yet, at least. I wanted to enjoy this dance for a little bit, before things went downhill," said Phoebe.

"Yes, I saw that," said Ricklaus. "You and Mr. Salvatore make quite a pair."

Phoebe beamed, "Well we did just win cutest couple."

"I saw that, too," he said. "But he wasn't the Salvatore brother I was referring to."

Phoebe just stared up at him, "Stefan and I are just friends."

"Not for much longer, love," Ricklaus replied. When he did, Phoebe both saw and heard his natural face and voice. "Perhaps, without your sister in the way, the two of you can finally act upon those feelings you for one another."

Phoebe knew he was just trying to provoke her. Probably so he could see if the story of her necklace was true, but she wouldn't give away her hand. Not now. She continued to show how agitated she felt, but kept her powers in check, "There are no feelings between us, Klaus."

"Maybe not consciously, but they are there," he insisted. "They'll bubble their way up to the surface soon enough. Probably sooner, once your sister's dead."

Phoebe wished more than ever she'd have completed her training, because she wanted nothing more than to kill Klaus right this moment, regardless of who witnessed it. But she couldn't do a thing, right now. She wasn't strong enough to kill him, yet, and if she gave away her hand now...

Phoebe spotted Elena dragging Bonnie away outside, while Stefan confronted his brother – who was on his way to see Phoebe.

"Excuse me," she said. "Family stuff."

Ricklaus watched her follow her sister and Bonnie outside, then moved to put his plan in motion.

"How could you not tell me?" Elena questioned.

"Because I knew how you'd react," Bonnie replied.

"No. No way, it's not an option," Elena argued.

"It's our only option," said Phoebe, catching up.

Elena looked at her sister in surprise, "You knew, too?"

"Elena, Klaus has my necklace, so I can't use my powers, which makes Bonnie our only other option," said Phoebe, ignoring her question.

Elena grew more flustered, "Then we'll find another way, okay?"

"You can't keep saying that to every solution we find, Elena," said Phoebe. "You wouldn't let me, because someone started a rumor that I would die, and now you won't let Bonnie for the same reason."

"I am not letting Bonnie die to save my life," Elena argued.

"But I have the power to save you!" Bonnie interjected. "If I don't use it, and something happens, that would kill me more."

Elena shook her head, "I can't let you."

"Just answer one question – If the situation was reversed, would you do it for me?" Bonnie asked. Elena didn't say anything, but she gave Bonnie a look that said she would. "So you know why I have to."

"No," Elena choked. "No!"

Meanwhile, Jeremy and Anna make up in the hallway. They're soon approached by a small group of guys from the school, looking for a fight. They try to beat on Jeremy, but Anna protects him. Unfortunately, Klaus has compelled one of them to carry a crossbow to shoot a stake at her. They miss her heart, thankfully, but she still goes down. Hayley and the Salvatores show up to lend a hand, and soon realize it's only a distraction.

"Elena!" Caroline called, rushing over to them. She was clearly distressed about something.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Elena asked.

"He has Jeremy," she answered.

Bonnie and Elena questioned in unison, "What?"

"Who told you that?" Phoebe asked. "How do you know?"

"Rick, he just came up to me at the dance, and told me that Klaus took Jeremy," Caroline answered.

"Where's Stefan?" Elena asked.

"He said to meet him. Come on," she answered, gesturing for them to follow her.

She led them through a nearby side door, and down several hallways, and around almost as many corners, until they were far enough away from the dance to not be heard.

"Where's Jeremy?" Elena questioned.

"Something's not right," said Phoebe, looking around.

Caroline stopped, and looked back at them sheepishly, "I'm sorry, Elena. He-He made me to do it."

"Who did?" Bonnie asked her.

Ricklaus entered the hallway, happily, "I just had to get away from that dance. The 60s, uchh. Not my Decade. I mean, who's call was that anyway? I much prefer the 20s. The style, the parties, the jazz."

"Alaric, are you on vervain?" Elena asked him, suspiciously.

"Now, why would you ask me that question, Elena?" he asked, inching closer to the girls.

"He's being compelled," Elena noted.

"Nope. Try again," said Ricklaus. "Why don't you ask your sister? She knows."

"Phoebe, what is he talking about?" Elena asked.

"He's not Rick," she answered. "Well, I mean, he kind of is, but he isn't."

"Phoebe!" said Bonnie and Elena together.

"That's Rick's body, but someone else is in control. He's been possessed," Phoebe explained.

"By who?" Bonnie asked, taking a protective stance between him and Elena.

Elena stared at Ricklaus for a moment, before it hit her, "Klaus."

"Surprise!" said Ricklaus, excitedly.

Elena shook her head, "No. No, it's not possible."

"Just relax, Elena. I'm not here to hurt you. You're not on my hit list tonight," he told her. He shifted his focus to Bonnie. "But you are."

Ricklaus lunged for Bonnie, and she sent him flying across the hall. He stood back up without a scratch on him, "Now, did I mention that I know a witch? You're gonna have to hit me a lot harder than that."

He charged Bonnie again, and she sent him flying into a display case at the opposite end of the hall. He laughed, as he stood up once again unscathed, "By all means...fire away! If you kill this body, I'll just get a new one."

"Caroline, get Elena out of here. Go!" Phoebe ordered.

Elena protested, but Caroline grabbed her friend and flitted away. Phoebe grabbed Bonnie, and took off running. Bonnie closed the door behind them, as Phoebe ran into Damon and Hayley.

"What the hell's going on?" he asked.

"Klaus is possessing Rick's body," Phoebe answered.

Damon looked at Bonnie, "Can you kill him?"

Bonnie shook her head, "He's got some kind of protection spell on him."

"You have the power of a hundred witches. Break it," Damon told her.

"I'm trying. But if I kill Alaric, he'll just possess someone else," Bonnie argued.

"No. Klaus does not get to win tonight. No way," Damon commented.

"I might have an idea," said Phoebe. "He knows Bonnie can't survive using all that power, his witch would've told him that."

"So?" Damon asked.

"So, he's trying to provoke her into using all that power on him, while he's in Rick's body," said Hayley. "He won't die from it, but she will, and he knows it."

Damon thought for a moment, "So we fake your death. Make him believe that you've used all that power on him, and then died."

"I can cast a protection spell on myself. One that'll give the illusion that I'm dead, without actually being dead," said Bonnie.

"You realize we won't be able to tell Elena or anyone else about this, right?" said Hayley. "They need to believe she's actually dead, for Klaus to believe it."

"Then so be it," said Damon.

Meanwhile, Caroline brings Elena to Stefan, Anna, and Jeremy. After much complaint, Stefan takes Elena to find Bonnie, Phoebe, Hayley, and Damon; while Caroline stays with Jeremy and Anna. They found Damon waiting in a hallway, alone.

"What are you doing? Where's Bonnie?" Elena asked.

"She's doing what she has to do," said Damon.

"What?!" Elena questioned.

"Where is she?" Stefan asked.

"Stefan, let her do this," said Damon.

Stefan got angry, "Damn it, Damon, where is she?!"

Stefan stayed to keep his brother from stopping Elena, while she ran on ahead. Something Phoebe knew would happen, so she and Hayley were waiting down another hallway. She tried to run past them, but they grabbed her.

"Let me go!" she cried. She saw Bonnie through the doors to the cafeteria. Lights were flickering, sparks were flying, papers were flying all around the room, and Bonnie's nose was bleeding. "Bonnie, no!"

Bonnie slammed the doors closed, and held them there. Phoebe and Hayley released Elena, knowing there was no way she could get through those doors. Stefan flitted in from nowhere, and tried to open the doors, but even his supernatural strength couldn't move them. Bonnie looked back at Elena, before delivering one last blow to Ricklaus. After that she collapsed to the floor, and died.

"No!" Elena cried.

The lights in the cafeteria died, the papers went still, and the doors were free to open. Elena and Stefan rushed in to check on Bonnie, but it was no use. She was gone.

Stefan looked around to see where Ricklaus went, but he was long gone.

Elena held her friend in her arms, repeatedly calling out her name.

"Stefan, she's not breathing!" she sobbed. "Stefan! Stefan, I can't find her pulse!"

Stefan tried to find it himself, but there was no pulse to be found.

"Stefan! Do something, please!" Elena pleaded.

Stefan looked at her apologetically.

"Stefan, please! Just give her your blood, do something, please!" Elena begged.

"It's too late," he told her. "I'm sorry."

Elena shook her head, refusing to believe it, "No! No. No, no, no, no, no! Bonnie! Bonnie, please, no! No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no!"

Phoebe and Hayley choked back tears. Even though they knew it was all going to be okay, it was still a sad sight to witness.

"Stefan, get Elena out of here," Damon commanded, appearing in the doorway. "I'll deal with the body."

Elena looked up at him, shocked, "What do you mean, deal with it?"

"The Sheriff can't know about this," Phoebe answered, moving closer to her sister.

"The last thing we need is another mysterious death," Damon added.

"This is Bonnie!" Elena shouted.

Phoebe looked at Stefan, "Get her home."

Stefan looked at her with a disappointment she'd never seen on his face before – at least not towards her – as he bent down to help Elena to her feet. That looked killed her almost as much as seeing her sister in this state.

Elena was so hysterical, Stefan had to pick her up and carry her out of there. Once they were gone, Damon picked up Bonnie and brought her to the trunk of his car, while Hayley and Phoebe picked up the cafeteria. Since they were so close to a full moon, Hayley was able to flit around and clean up a lot more than Phoebe; but Phoebe still had powers to help them clean with.

Outside, Damon met up with Anna, Jeremy, and Anna. He told them what happened – including their plan to trick Klaus into thinking Bonnie was really dead – and sent Anna and Jeremy to the witch house to hide her there. Caroline returned the dance with Matt, explaining her continued disappearances as just the usual drama, while Damon returned inside to help Phoebe and Hayley clean up.

Later, once they were done, they returned to the Boarding House. Stefan and Elena were waiting for them in the living room – Elena still crying, and Stefan doing what he could to help her.

The moment they stepped in the door, Elena rose to her feet in rage, "What did you do with her?"

"Please calm down," said Phoebe, approaching her sister.

"You knew! Didn't you? You knew that if she harnessed all that power, that she would die, didn't you?" Elena questioned.

"Yes," Phoebe admitted. "I knew."

Elena lost it. She'd never been this angry with her sister in their entire lives, so for the first time ever, Elena slapped her sister's face.

Phoebe gasped in shock, as she stood there with her face still turned away by the force of her sister's hand. The only movement she made was to reach a hand up and touch her stinging cheek. After a moment, she turned back to her sister, hand still on her cheek, "You need to listen to me, and prepare for what I'm about to say. Klaus knew that Bonnie had her powers back, _and_ that she was channeling all those dead witches. And he wasn't going to stop until he made her burn herself out trying to kill him."

Elena continued to stare angrily at her sister.

"So Bonnie cast a spell on herself to create the illusion of her death," Phoebe went on. "We couldn't tell you, because Klaus had to believe it, and your grief and shock was what sold it."

"S-So Boninnie's-," Elena stammered.

"Going to be just fine," Phoebe told her, and walked away.

Stefan shared a look of surprise with Elena – pleasant surprise. Hayley followed Phoebe upstairs to pack, while Damon told their siblings of the details – like where Bonnie was now, and who was with her.

It didn't take Phoebe long to pack and take a shower. While she got dressed, Hayley hopped in to get cleaned up. As she finished getting dressed, there was a knock on the door.

Phoebe opened the door, and was surprised by who she found, "Stefan."

"Mind if I come in?" he asked.

"Uh, Hayley's in the shower, but we can talk in the hallway," she replied.

Stefan nodded, and stepped back to give her room. Phoebe stepped out, and closed the door behind her. They stood there in awkward silence for a moment, before Phoebe spoke up.

"Let me guess, you're here to scold me for what I did to Elena," she guessed.

Stefan looked at her seriously, "Do you even understand the kind of pain you put her through?"

"Yes, Stefan, I do, because she's been my sister a lot longer than she'd been your girlfriend," she replied. Phoebe took a breath. "Look, if there was another way we-"

"Of course there was another way, there's always another way," Stefan argued.

"This was a heat of the moment decision, Stefan. It's not like the Masquerade Ball, where we had two whole weeks to come up with an ingenious plan," she snapped. "This was the only way to make Klaus believe Bonnie was dead."

"Always about the plan with you, isn't it?" he asked, rhetorically. "You know, for an empath, you're pretty cold and logical."

Phoebe bit her tongue, took a breath, then told him, "Give me your hand."

"What?"

"Give me your hand," she repeated.

Stefan reached a hand out to her, and she held it in hers. A moment later, Stefan felt a wave of emotions that were not his. Self-hatred, sympathy, sadness, shock.

"That's what it felt like for me to betray my sister. To see her in such a state. To see the hatred in her eyes, as she looked at me. To have her hate me so much for the first time in her life that she wanted to hit me," Phoebe told him, tears welling up in her eyes. She released his hand, and swallowed the lump building up in her throat.

"Phoebe, I'm-," he began.

"I know...I felt it," she told him, avoiding his eyes. She sniffled and wiped a few fallen tears from her cheeks, "Goodnight, Stefan."

Stefan felt like the world's biggest jerk, as he watched her walk away from him. She was his friend and he should've known better than to ever think she was a heartless monster.

Meanwhile at the witch house, Bonnie wakes up to Jeremy and Anna setting up their new place. Jeremy was lighting candles, while Anna was setting up at video call for Bonnie and Elena. Bonnie apologized profusely for what she and the others had to do, and Elena forgave her.

Back at the Boarding house, while Elena chatted with Bonnie, Phoebe went to see Damon.

"Hey," she said, announcing her presence.

"Hey, I was just about to come see you," he replied. He gestured to his face, "How's the cheek?"

Phoebe reached up to touch it, "Stings. But from what I've been told, it's supposed to."

"Wait, are you saying that was the first time you've ever been slapped?" he questioned.

"Well, unlike you, I try to avoid making people angry at me," she replied. She walked over to his bed, and sat next to one of the posts. "At least, not mad enough to wanna hit me."

Damon smirked, and walked over to sit on her other side. He pushed her hair out of the way, and kissed her sore cheek, lightly, "That better?"

Phoebe smiled at him, "Much better, thank you."

"Anytime."

Phoebe looked away, and took a deep breath, "Tonight was a win. But I'm not going to let Bonnie die for my sister, Damon."

"We need to kill Klaus, Phoebe. Real Klaus. Who will probably be coming to pay your sister a visit soon, now that he thinks Bonnie is dead," he told her. Phoebe looked at him. "She's the only one who can do it."

"That's not true," Phoebe argued. "I can do it."

"How? You don't even have your necklace," he argued back.

"So we'll get it back," said Phoebe.

"Let me be clear on something. If it comes down to you and the witch, I will _gladly_ let Bonnie die," said Damon. He stared her in the eye, and emphasized his next words, "I will always choose you."

Phoebe stared into his pale blue eyes, gave into the sudden overwhelming urge to kiss him. She leaned in and pressed her lips to his. As Damon kissed her back, she leaned back to lay on the bed. Damon followed her down, climbing on top of her – their lips never separating. Phoebe ran a hand through his hair, momentarily forgetting why she was doing this in the first place.

Damon broke away for a breath of air, and to look at her. He was so happy, a war could break out outside of his window and he wouldn't care.

"Forgive me," Phoebe mumbled.

Damon made a face, and fell unconscious on top of her. Phoebe rolled him over onto his back, then got off the bed. She picked up his feet, turned them towards the foot of the bed, and plopped them down. She gave him another peck on the forehead, and left, closing his door behind her.

Phoebe arrived at her room at the same time as Elena. Both girls equally surprised to see the other.

"Hey, I was just coming to see you," Elena said slowly, gesturing to her door.

Phoebe furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, "I seem to be pretty popular tonight. What can I do for you?"

"I just wanted to apologize. I shouldn't have hit you. That was wrong," she said.

"Apology accepted," said Phoebe.

"Stefan told me what you did," said Elena. Phoebe furrowed her eyebrows. "He told me you showed him how you felt about lying to me and seeing me so upset. He also told me that you didn't have much time to come up with a plan, or else you would've done things differently."

Phoebe nodded.

Elena moved closer, and embraced her sister, "Thank you. For keeping Bonnie safe. And I promise never to hit you again."

"Anytime," said Phoebe, pulling away. "The saving bit, not the slapping."

They both laughed.

"Goodnight, Phoebe."

"Goodnight, Elena."

Elena headed back upstairs to Stefan's room, while Phoebe pretended to go back into her room. Once Elena was out of range, she opened the door to find Hayley waiting with her bag. The two headed downstairs and out the door. Phoebe slipped her shoes on just outside the door, and they continued on down the street to meet Elijah.

He was parked in a dark car at the end of the street, so the girls didn't need to walk far – just far enough to be out of hearing range of the Boarding House.

"Are you sure you don't wanna come with us?" Phoebe asked.

"I'm sure," said Hayley. "You need to focus, and I'd only be a distraction."

"Just double-checking," Phoebe sighed. "I'm still going to worry about you, though, especially when Damon wakes up. He is not going to be happy."

Hayley laughed, "I'll call you if there's a problem."

"Well, you'll have to call Elijah's phone," said Phoebe. "I'm leaving mine at the Boarding House, because as soon as they realize I'm gone-"

"They're going to bombard you with calls and texts," Hayley finished. "I understand. I'll call Elijah, if there's an emergency."

Phoebe nodded.

The girls stood there awkwardly for a moment, before hugging.

"I know it's only gonna be a couple of days," said Hayley.

"But I'm gonna miss you," Phoebe finished.

Elijah stepped out of the car, and walked to the passenger side door to wait for Phoebe.

Phoebe and Hayley pulled away from one another.

"You better get going," said Hayley. "You've got a long drive ahead of you."

Phoebe nodded, and began backing up towards the car, "Be careful, okay?"

"You, too."

Elijah opened the door for Phoebe, and took her bag. He placed it in the back seat once he returned to the driver side of the car, and the two were off. Phoebe passed a small portion of the ride, by telling Elijah what happened at the dance. After that, she fell asleep.

When they arrived at the house, Elijah didn't want to wake her, so he carried her up to her room and put her in bed. He ran back downstairs, grabbed her bag, and brought it up to her room. He tried to leave quietly, but Phoebe still stirred.

She felt around on the bed, and grumbled, "Marvin? Where's Marvin?"

Elijah looked down at her bag, and grabbed the pig sitting on top of it – she'd been holding it in the car. Elijah brought it over to her, "I assume you're referring to the swine?"

Phoebe grabbed Marvin from him, "By swine, I assume you're referring to this big blob of adorableness?"

Elijah smiled, "Get some rest. Tomorrow's going to be a long day."

Phoebe took off her glasses, and curled up with Marvin, "Goodnight, Elijah."

"Goodnight, Phoebe."


	41. Klaus

Chapter 41: Klaus

Damon shot up in bed, when he woke up the next morning. He looked around at his surroundings, hoping that it had just been a dream. But something in his gut told him that it wasn’t.

He climbed out of bed and walked down the hall to Phoebe’s room. He knocked on the door, but there was no answer. He tuned in with his vampire hearing, but heard nothing going on in the room. No shower, no talking, no breathing, no heartbeats. Nothing.

Damon opened the door and looked around the room. All of Hayley’s things were still there, but some of Phoebe’s things were missing. Some clothes, her toothbrush, Marvin.

“Hayley!” Damon called, angrily.

Hayley stood in the kitchen sipping her coffee, as she listened to Damon wake up and search Phoebe’s room. When he called her name, she replied quietly – knowing he could still hear her, “In the kitchen.”

Damon appeared across the island from her, looking very pissed, “Where is she?”

“She left,” Hayley replied, calmly.

“Where did she go?” Damon asked through clenched teeth.

“I’ll explain everything when Stefan and Elena get, so I can--”

Damon slapped his hand down on the counter, cracking the marble finish, “I am not in the mood, wolf girl. Tell me where Phoebe is right now, or I--”

“What’s going on, I heard yelling?” Stefan asked, entering the kitchen with Elena. He moved closer to Hayley to stop his brother from hurting her if he had to.

“Phoebe’s gone,” said Damon, staring Hayley down.

“What?” Elena asked.

“What do you mean gone?” Stefan asked.

“That’s what I’m trying to find out,” Damon snapped. “But Fido here won’t tell me.”

Hayley rolled her eyes, as she sipped her coffee.

Elena walked closer to Hayley, “Hayley, where did my sister go?”

Hayley avoided looking at all three of them, as she put down her coffee, “She went to see Elijah.”

“What?” Damon questioned.

“Why would she go see Elijah?” Elena asked.

“Wait, I thought Elijah was away looking into those rumors about what would happen to her if she tried to kill Klaus?” Stefan questioned. “Did he—Did he find something? Is that why she went to go see him, without telling us?”

Hayley held up her hands to quiet them all down, “I promise to tell you everything, if you all just calm down and let me explain. Him most of all. I can’t exactly tell you anything if you tear my head off.”

Everyone looked at Damon, and he did his best to calm himself down.

Meanwhile, Ricklaus sends his witch – Maddox – out to retrieve his real body and bring it to Mystic Falls. Katherine wonders why he would bother with that instead of just leaving town to break the curse. Ricklaus explains that the ritual must be performed in the birthplace of the doppelganger – something she would have known had she not fled England. He adds that hopefully Elena won’t be as foolish as she was. Katherine tells him that Elena won’t run, she’d rather die than let him hurt her friends. Ricklaus is glad to hear that. He then compels her not to leave the apartment until he says, and leaves.

Elsewhere, Phoebe woke to the wonderful smell of brewing coffee and breakfast cooking downstairs. Once she sat up and put her glasses on, she saw just how beautiful her room was. It wasn’t as big as her room at the Boarding House, but it was just as nice. She had a four-poster, canopy bed with Egyptian cotton sheets and fresh, fluffy pillows. There was a fireplace on the opposite wall, a vanity, and a walk-in closet. She also found that she had an attached bathroom.

She got up to empty her bladder, before going downstairs. As she washed her hands, she studied her reflection. Elijah would undoubtedly be wearing a nice suit – or something equally sophisticated looking – and here she was wearing a wrinkled t-shirt and her ‘Bad Wolf’ capris. Next to him she’d look like a total mess.

Phoebe sighed, wishing she’d brought something nicer to wear. She should’ve remembered how underdressed she always felt around Elijah and come prepared. Then again, she was only here for a couple of days and that time was to be spent training, not trying to look nice for Elijah. And yet, for some reason, being around Elijah made her want to look more like a girl. What Phoebe didn’t realize was Elijah felt the same way about looking more casual for her.

Then it hit her, like an anvil on a cartoon character. She slapped her palm to her forehead, and raced back out to the walk in closet. Elijah had stocked it with clothes for her – she had still been half-asleep when she first looked at it.

She searched through the clothes in the closet, until she found a cute, little sundress. She stripped down to her underwear and slipped the dress on. It was perfect. Simple – like Phoebe – yet nice – like Elijah. Phoebe pinned her wavy locks up into something equally cute, yet simple; then headed downstairs for breakfast – which was probably cold now.

Surprisingly, Elijah was still cooking when she arrived. And just as she had suspected, he was dressed to the nine. He wasn’t wearing a suit, but he did have on a pair of dark slacks and a white, button-up shirt tucked into his pants, with the sleeves rolled up and the top few buttons undone.

“Good morning,” he greeted her, smiling.

“Morning,” she replied, returning his smile.

“I see you’ve discovered your closet,” he said, pouring her a cup of coffee.

Phoebe took a seat on the stool in front of the place setting Elijah had laid out for her on the counter.

Elijah handed Phoebe the cream and sugar, “You look lovely.”

Phoebe’s cheeks flushed a shade of pink, “Thank you.”

“How do you like your eggs?” Elijah asked, returning his attention to the stove.

“Over easy,” said Phoebe.

“Coming right up,” said Elijah.

Phoebe sipped her coffee, and looked around, “This place looks a lot better than it did when we met.”

Elijah smiled, “Well, I haven’t had much to do these past couple of weeks, so I worked on the house.”

Phoebe thought back to when she was first here. Rose and Trevor thinking she was the doppelganger, trying to trade her to Elijah for their freedom, Elijah’s reaction to her. She looked at the sink near where Elijah was cooking and remembered when she’d seen his face in it. She took a breath in to ask a question, but decided against it.

Elijah still heard her breath and knew it was the kind of breath one takes before speaking, “What’s on your mind?”

“I was just thinking about the first time I came here,” she answered. “Rose and Trevor...the way they looked at me...”

“Yes, Katarina has managed to anger a great deal of people in her 500 years,” said Elijah. “I’m sorry that you and your sister must endure the harshness of those she’s crossed.”

Phoebe shrugged – though Elijah couldn’t see, “So why don’t you hate her? I mean, you seemed more surprised than angry when we first met.”

Elijah smiled to himself – he loved how curious she was, “Katarina wasn’t always so...She wasn’t always like she is now.”

“You cared for her, didn’t you?” Phoebe guessed.

Elijah turned off the stove, and grabbed their plates, “A common mistake, so I’m told.”

Elijah placed her plate in front of her, and set his down next to her. Aside from the eggs, there were a few strips of bacon, and a couple of pancakes. He also set out a bowl of mixed fruit for them to each.

“Thank you,” said Phoebe. “Smells good.”

“Well, you were kind enough to cook me dinner once,” he said with a smile. He turned to retrieve the syrup, “The least I can do is repay you with breakfast.”

When Elijah took his seat next to her, he found her making a face on her top pancake with the fruit. When she was satisfied with what she’d made, she began eating her bacon and eggs.

“So how did you and Katherine meet?” Phoebe asked.

“Trevor – or Trefor, as he was known back then – found her and brought her to our home for Klaus’ birthday celebration,” Elijah began. “I’ll admit I was just as surprised to see her standing there as I was to see you when we first met.”

Phoebe thought for a moment, then it came to her, “Because you knew the original doppelganger. The one whose blood was used to cast the curse a thousand years ago.”

Elijah smiled, “Yes. Her name was Tatia.”

Phoebe studied his face, “You cared for her, too. I can see it in your face.”

Elijah looked at her with surprise. It was remarkable how observant she was, especially given her age.

“I’m sorry,” she said, looking away.

“You’re curious,” he said. “That’s nothing to be sorry for.”

Phoebe looked back up at him and he gave her a comforting smile.

Back at the Boarding House, the group has moved into the living room to hear what Hayley has to say. Damon did his best to stay close to the liquor tray, while Elena and Stefan sat on the couch. Hayley sat in a chair where she could see them all.

“So where exactly is Phoebe?” Elena asked.

“With Elijah,” said Hayley.

“But where?” Elena pushed. “Where are they?”

“I can’t tell you that,” said Hayley.

“Can’t, or wont?” Stefan asked.

Hayley stared the vampire down, “Look, if Phoebe wanted you to know where she was, she would’ve told you herself.”

“I don’t understand, why didn’t she tell us?” Elena wondered. “If Elijah found something--”

“Elijah didn’t find anything,” said Hayley. “He never went searching to find out if those rumors were true.”

Damon seethed, shooting back the last of his drink.

“But...Phoebe said,” Elena began.

“Phoebe lied,” said Damon, slamming his glass down. He opened the decanter to pour himself another glass, “Phoebe always lies.”

“Phoebe and I were still working with Elijah to develop her powers behind your backs. Elijah stayed away so she could actually focus on what she needed to do, instead of worrying about what plan you were all conceiving behind her back to get rid of Elijah,” Hayley explained. “Though with Damon hovering like he has the past couple of weeks, it’s just been me and her working on her powers. But that’s why she left. She only has one more element to learn, and she needed Elijah to help her with that. Well, that and to get away from all of us, so we wouldn’t distract her.”

“Wait, I thought it wasn’t safe for her to train without that necklace,” said Stefan.

“After that Luka kid tried to astral project into her room, she got freaked out. She thought it was one of Klaus’ witches coming for the moonstone, so she created the necklace story. She wanted Katherine to overhear it and take it from her, then bring it to Klaus in exchange for her freedom,” Hayley explained.

“So that Klaus would think that she couldn’t use her powers to destroy him, thus making her no longer a threat,” Stefan guessed.

“What I tell ya? Phoebe always lies,” Damon remarked bitterly.

Hayley rolled her eyes.

“Why are you so snarky, this morning?” Elena questioned.

“None of your business,” Damon snapped.

“Phoebe knocked him out during a pretty intense make out session, last night,” said Hayley.

Damon did his best to restrain himself from killing her.

Stefan put on his surprised face, while Elena’s jaw dropped.

“Look, I get that you guys feel hurt, or betrayed, or whatever; but Phoebe only lied because you guys would’ve tried to stop her, because you’re already convinced that she’s gonna die if she tries to kill Klaus,” said Hayley, bringing the conversation back to its main focus. “For people who claim to care about her, you don’t seem to trust her very much.”

“Can you blame us?” Damon remarked bitterly.

“It’s not that we don’t trust her, Hayley,” said Elena. “We just don’t trust Elijah.”

“But Phoebe does,” Hayley pressed. “Think about it. Look at all the people she’s given her seal of approval on. People you didn’t trust before, but you’ve learned to trust because of her.”

“Hayley--,” Stefan began.

“Stefan, you and Elena wouldn’t even be together, if it weren’t for Phoebe. If she hadn’t given you that day to talk after finding out what you were, she never would’ve encouraged Elena to give you another chance. If she hadn’t trusted you and believed you when you said you meant her and her sister no harm,” said Hayley. She turned to Damon next, “And you. If Phoebe hadn’t had faith in you – faith that deep down you were a good man – she’d have let you die long before that fire; and if not, then she certainly wouldn’t have risked her life to save yours. And even with all the pain you’ve put her through, she hasn’t regretted it for a second.”

Damon didn’t say anything. No one did.

“She trusted that Anna was genuinely in love with your brother, and not just trying to keep close to him for some other reason,” Hayley went on. “She even gave Caroline a chance, and from what I’m told they hated each other. But she refused to let you stake Caroline that night. Now look at her.”

“She trusted you, too,” said Elena. “Despite her fear of werewolves, she chose to take one on as a friend.”

“She chose to give all of us a chance, even when there were mountains of reasons why she shouldn’t,” said Hayley. She rose to her feet. “All Phoebe’s ever wanted from you guys is to have a little faith. To believe that she can do this and survive. But none of you ever have. You’d rather believe in a conveniently timed rumor that says she won’t survive.”

“It’s not that we doubt her, Hayley. We just want her to be safe,” said Stefan. “If there’s even a slight chance she could die...”

“And you think I’m not worried?” Hayley challenged. “I know I’ve only known her for a month, but Phoebe’s become like family to me. I don’t want anything to happen to her, but I’m also not gonna stand here and try to control her life for her, like all of you do.”

“That’s not true,” Elena argued.

“Yes, it is. Why else do you think she ended up keeping so many secrets from you?” Hayley responded. “You guys don’t believe in her...You don’t respect her.”

That struck a chord with both of the brothers. For Damon, he remembered when Phoebe accused him of not respecting her:

“I have something with Elijah that you and I have never had.”

Damon rolled his eyes, “Don’t tell me you’re in love with the guy.”

Phoebe smiled, “Nope. Better.”

Damon looked at her with false interest, and waited for her to tell him.

“Mutual respect,” said Phoebe.

Stefan on the other hand remembered last night:

“Always about the plan with you, isn’t it?” he asked, rhetorically. “You know, for an empath, you’re pretty cold and logical.”

Phoebe bit her tongue, took a breath, then told him, “Give me your hand.”

“What?”

“Give me your hand,” she repeated.

Stefan reached a hand out to her, and she held it in hers. A moment later, Stefan felt a wave of emotions that were not his. Self-hatred, sympathy, sadness, shock.

“That’s what it felt like for me to betray my sister. To see her in such a state. To see the hatred in her eyes, as she looked at me. To have her hate me so much for the first time in her life that she wanted to hit me,” Phoebe told him, tears welling up in her eyes. She released his hand, and swallowed the lump building up in her throat.

He’d doubted her ability to feel. Accused her of being a cold, unfeeling automaton. He didn’t believe in her, thus forcing her to prove herself. He vowed to himself then and there, never to let that happen again.

Damon headed for the stairs.

“Where are you going?” Stefan questioned, rising to his feet.

Damon didn’t stop, “To get something of Phoebe’s so Bonnie can do a locator spell.”

Stefan flitted up to the landing on the stairs, blocking his brother, “No, you’re not.”

Damon stopped on the landing, in front of his brother, “Excuse me?”

“You’re not going to have Bonnie track her down, because she doesn’t want to be found,” said Stefan, moving a little closer.

Damon narrowed his eyes, “If Phoebe learns that last element, she’s gonna try to kill Klaus. If she tries to kill Klaus, she’ll die.”

“We don’t know that,” Stefan argued.

Damon ignored his brother, and tried to go around him. Stefan reached out and blocked him.

“Get out of my way, Stefan,” Damon commanded.

Hayley and Elena appeared at the base of the stairs a short time ago, but only now made themselves known.

“Damon, Hayley’s right. We have to respect Phoebe’s wishes and let her do her thing,” said Elena. “We have to have faith in her.”

Damon continued to stare Stefan down on the landing for a few more minutes, before relenting and walking away.

Elsewhere, Phoebe and Elijah have finished breakfast, and are now cleaning their dishes.

“May I ask you a personal question?” Elijah asked, handing Phoebe a dish to dry.

“Of course,” she replied.

“You and Mr. Salvatore...It is obvious that he cares for you, and you him,” said Elijah.

“Is there a question in there?” Phoebe asked, accepting another dish to dry.

“My question is, if you care so much for one another, why are you not involved in a romantic relationship?” Elijah inquired.

Phoebe dried the last dish, as she thought of an answer, “I used to think that true love was when the love you had for someone was returned by that person...but the more I learn, the more I come to understand that true love is more than that. True love is more than just caring for one another, sharing similar interests, tolerating each other’s flaws, remembering important details about one another...It’s about having respect for one another. Without that, no relationship can last.”

Elijah was impressed with her wisdom, “Then I take it you and Mr. Salvatore do not respect each other?”

Phoebe shook her head, “Damon treats me like a porcelain doll that needs him to put me on a pedestal and keep me safe. He thinks he knows better than me because he’s been around longer, and he thinks he should have the final say on what I do with my life just because he’s physically superior.”

“I see. And you?”

Phoebe made a face that said the thought was only now occurring to her, “No. I don’t. Damon is like a child, that’s used to getting its way. And if he doesn’t get his way, he throws a tantrum. He’s so selfish, he’ll do whatever it takes to get what he wants, regardless of the costs or collateral damage...How can you respect someone like that?”

Elijah put on a small smile, “Well, personally I don’t see how you could even love someone like that, but I try not to judge.”

Phoebe returned his smile, “It’s complicated.”

“So it would appear,” he replied, heading outside.

Phoebe followed him, “You were in love with Katherine. Wasn’t that complicated, too?”

“I never said I was in love with her,” he argued. “I said I cared for her.”

“Okay, fine. You’re over a thousand years old, can’t you remember loving anyone that made loving them complicated?” Phoebe asked.

Elijah stopped a few feet from the house, “My time on this Earth has taught me that there is no such thing as true love.”

Phoebe gave him a look, “Now that is just too sad to believe.”

“Why is that?”

“Because life is too cruel as it is – even worse for a vampire – for love not to exist,” Phoebe argued. “You may not have found it yet, but you will, Elijah. Don’t give up hope of finding it, because if you do...then what will be the point of living?”

Elijah stared at her for a moment, considering her words, before changing the topic entirely, “The emotions you’ll need to focus on today are patience, strength, stability, and goodness.”

“Those sound more like character traits than emotions,” Phoebe noted.

“Indeed. All of which you have within you naturally, so I expect you to have no trouble with today’s lessons,” said Elijah.

Phoebe smiled at the compliment, “But I thought you said Earth was the most difficult element to master.”

“I have faith in your abilities, Miss Gilbert,” he told her, seriously.

Phoebe looked away awkwardly, “So what exactly can I do with the Earth?”

“A great deal. You can alter or reshape the terrain around you, manipulate plants, create earthquakes, and make golems,” he listed.

Phoebe became excited, “I can make a golem?!”

“With enough time and practice, yes. But for now you’ll only be able to make a small golem, no more than a foot tall,” said Elijah.

“So it’ll be like the bubbles. It won’t serve any practical use, but it could be a great distraction technique,” Phoebe argued. “Besides, it’ll just make it that much more adorable.”

Back in Mystic Falls, Jenna finally returns home. John asks her why she came back, and she tells him that Rick texted her asking her to meet him at the Grill for lunch later to talk. Knowing that Klaus is still in Rick’s body, John tries to tell her not to go, but she won’t listen. Leaving him no other choice, he calls Phoebe, but she doesn’t answer. So he calls Elena and tells her what’s going on with Jenna.

Stefan and Elena head over to the Gilbert house to talk to Jenna, while Damon still pouts about what Phoebe did to him and what Stefan did this morning. Since Hayley is busy fortifying the cell in the basement for her to lock herself up in tomorrow night, Damon sneaks away with Andie to pay Katherine a visit.

After successfully creating a small earthquake, Phoebe followed Elijah into the greenhouse to practice manipulating plants. When she got there, she saw Elijah had purchased many different kinds of plants – most of which were still in pots.

The greenhouse was two-stories tall, and quite spacious. The second story was more of an observation area with a table and chairs to sit at. There were paths made of large gravel on the ground-floor so you could walk around without having to walk through any of the plants.

“Wow...That is a lot of plants,” said Phoebe.

“I had planned to get them all planted before you got here, but I thought it might be more fun and useful to your training to wait until you arrived,” said Elijah.

“How di-...You knew I’d eventually decide to come out here with you to finish my training,” she noted. “Well, that explains why my closet was stocked with a ton of clothes.”

“I wasn’t sure if you’d have time to pack before coming out here, so I wanted to make sure you had what you needed,” said Elijah.

Phoebe gave a genuine smile, “Thank you.”

Elijah bowed his head in response, “So where would you like to begin?”

Phoebe looked at the gravel rocks and smiled. Elijah’s only answer was several rocks coming together to make a golem that was about a foot tall, and was an almost perfect imitation of the rock monster from Galaxy Quest.

Phoebe clapped her hands to her chest and beamed, “By Grapthar’s hammer, he’s adorable! I’m gonna name him...Fred!”

Elijah closed his eyes and took a breath – his version of an eye roll.

“Okay, okay. My curiosity has been satisfied,” she said, noticing his disapproval. “I’ll do something more practical now.”

Elijah said nothing as she made the ground, where the plants were to be planted, part to create a crater for the plants to sit in. She then made the plants themselves hop up out of their pots and settle themselves into their holes.

Elijah smiled, “Impressive.”

Phoebe grabbed his hand, and pulled him upstairs with her, as she replied, “I’m not done, yet.”

Once they were at the top, Fred – the golem – turned on the sprinkler system and began watering the plants. Phoebe made the plants absorb the water and nutrients they needed, making them healthy enough to grow. Flowers bloomed and trees grew – some so tall, they nearly touched the roof of the greenhouse.

Phoebe beamed up at Elijah, seemingly rather pleased with herself. Elijah fought back a smile, “Show off.”

Phoebe turned back to marvel at her work, before requesting, “So tell me more about Klaus. How did you two become friends?”

“Who says we were friends?” Elijah challenged.

“Well, you said you used to be in his inner circle – which means he must’ve trusted you – and I also saw you two playing together. You were fighting, but it was more like it was for fun than to inflict damage,” Phoebe answered.

“There was a time I’d have done anything for Nicklaus...but not because he was my friend,” said Elijah. He turned to look Phoebe in the eye. “Klaus is my younger brother.”

Phoebe was admittingly a little surprised by this bit of news, but at the same time it made a lot of sense. Well, everything except, “Why do you wanna kill your own brother?”

Elijah looked at his watch, “Lunchtime already. I’ll run to the house and fix us something. I’ll be back.”

That was the end of that. Or at least, a good pause in the topic.

Meanwhile, Damon and Andie drop by Rick’s apartment to see Katherine. Damon asks her why she betrayed them when Isobel came back to town, receiving the answer he already knew was coming – she was looking out for herself, because she didn’t think they had what it took to stand up to Klaus. Damon tossed her a vial of vervain so that she can reclaim her free will. Although Klaus’ compulsion won’t ware off from it, it still means she has the option not to listen to him in the future.

Over at the Gilbert house, Stefan and Elena arrive to stop Jenna from meeting Ricklaus for lunch, but they’re too late. Ricklaus has invited himself over to cook lunch for Jenna. Being in Rick’s body means he doesn’t need an invitation, so despite John’s objections he was still allowed inside.

As he cooks, he talks about the Aztec curse on werewolves and vampires – revealing to Jenna that one of Rick’s secrets is that he hunts vampires. Jenna, however, doesn’t believe him and tells him to leave. Ricklaus refuses, forcing Jenna to try leaving herself. But Ricklaus holds her at knife-point, refusing to let her leave.

Stefan flits over, pinning Ricklaus to the wall – thus revealing his superior speed and strength. He tells Elena and John to get Jenna out of there, while he handles Ricklaus. Jenna is hesitant to leave, but follows the two out. Once they’re gone, Stefan and Ricklaus exchange a few words, before Stefan knocks him out and follows the others.

Meanwhile, Elijah returns with lunch – salad – and the two begin to eat in the observation area. Phoebe glanced at him a couple of times, wondering something, but couldn’t make up her mind whether to ask or not.

Elijah noticed this, and grinned, “You may ask.”

“Ask what?”

“Whatever it is on your mind,” he told her. “You can ask me anything. Though, I make no promises to answer.”

Phoebe put down her fork, “What else can kill an original – I mean, besides me?”

“Only the wood from one tree, a tree my family made sure burned,” Elijah replied.

“That’s where the white ash from the dagger comes from,” Phoebe guessed.

“Yes. The witches won’t allow anything truly immortal to walk the Earth. Every creature needs to have a weakness, in order to maintain the balance,” he explained.

Phoebe nodded in agreement, “Then what is this whole curse about? I already know the whole sun and moon curse is a lie.”

Elijah became intrigued, “How do you know that?”

Phoebe explained how intrigued she was with the original tapestry, and how she’d had it carbon-dated. She told him everything about how she came to the conclusion that it was fake. All the while, Elijah ate his salad and listened intently.

“Well, it is true,” he admitted, when she was done. “Nicklaus and I faked the curse when Katarina ran away with the moonstone. The easiest way to discover the existence of a doppelganger or to get your hands on some long, lost moonstone is to have every single member of two warring species on the lookout for it.”

“Makes sense,” Phoebe agreed.

“Nicklaus drew Aztec sketches, Roman scrolls, African tribal etchings, and any other form of art necessary for planting it into any other culture or continent we felt like,” said Elijah.

“So what is the curse?” Phoebe pressed.

Elijah looked at his watch again, “I’ll tell you later. We need to return to our training.”

Phoebe didn’t understand what else she could possibly have to learn, but apparently she’d only shown him she could do passive things with her powers. Elijah now needed her to show him that she could perform more aggressive tricks.

Back at the Boarding House, John gives Elena and Jenna some space, while Elena does her best to explain the supernatural world to Jenna. She’s upset that she’s the last to know about it all, but Elena explains that they were all just trying to keep her safe. Jenna points out that she’s the guardian, so she’s the one that’s supposed to be keeping her, Phoebe, and Jeremy safe not the other way around. Elena apologizes, as she holds a scared Jenna.

Meanwhile, John wants to know where Phoebe is.

“She left late last night, after the dance,” said Stefan.

John grew concerned, “What do you mean she left? Where did she go?”

“She went to finish her training with Elijah, before the full moon tomorrow,” said Hayley.

“Wait, I thought she said she couldn’t do that anymore, because Klaus had her necklace,” said John.

“So did we,” Stefan admitted. “But, apparently, that’s what Phoebe wanted us to think.”

John didn’t bother verbalizing his question this time. He just looked at the two of them, awaiting further explanation, so Hayley gave it to him. She told him everything she said to Stefan, Elena, and Damon this morning.

While she does, Ricklaus returns to Rick’s apartment in a foul mood. Katherine tries to cheer him up, but he only compels her to sit down and shut up. To keep him from finding out that she’s on vervain, she does as he says. To Ricklaus’ relief, Maddox soon returns with his body, luggage, and his other witch – Greta; and they get to work switching him back to his own body.

Later that evening, over dinner, Elijah explains to Phoebe how Klaus is only his half-brother.

“My family was quite close, but Nicklaus and my father did not get on too well. When we became vampires, we discovered the truth,” he began. “Nicklaus was not my father’s son.”

Phoebe was intrigued, but kept her mouth shut.

“My mother had been unfaithful many years before. This was her darkest secret,” he continued. “Klaus is from a different bloodline. Of course when my father discovered this, he hunted down and he killed my mother’s lover and his entire family. Not realizing, of course, that he was igniting a war between the species that rages till this day.”

“A war between species?” Phoebe questioned. Elijah simply nodded his head, wanting to give her the chance to figure it out herself. When she did, she looked at Elijah with surprise, “Klaus’ father is from a werewolf bloodline?”

Elijah, again, nodded.

“Then what does that make Klaus? A werewolf? Or a vampire?”

“He’s both,” said Elijah. “A hybrid would be deadlier than any werewolf or vampire. Nature would not stand for such an imbalance of power. Therefore, the witches saw to it that my brother’s werewolf side would become dormant.”

“That’s the curse Klaus wants to break,” Phoebe noted. “He just wants to trigger the part of him that’s a werewolf and be complete, again.”

“You mustn’t empathize with him, Phoebe. If allowed, Klaus would sire his own bloodline. He’d build his own race, endangering not just vampires, but everyone,” Elijah told her.

Phoebe let out a heavy sigh, “No pressure, there.”

Elijah stood up and walked away. When he returned he had a box with him, “It’s a potion.”

Phoebe didn’t understand, but remained silent so he could further explain.

“It has the power of resuscitate the drinker, after their death. I had it made for Katarina 500 years ago, in the hopes that she could survive the sacrifice,” he told her. He looked up at Phoebe, “I would like for you to take it.”

“I don’t understand.”

“You’re a kind person, Phoebe. Very forgiving – among many other things. Even now you wish to empathize with the man that would not hesitate to kill everyone you love, should you cross him,” he replied. “If there is even the slightest chance that you could die trying to kill my brother, you must take this potion. You, more than anyone I have ever met, deserve to live, Phoebe Gilbert.”

“Elijah, I...”

“One more thing,” he interrupted. “Just in case something does happen to you, before you can complete your task, I will accompany you to finish the job myself.”

“No. Absolutely not,” Phoebe argued. Elijah furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. “Elijah, if you can remember even one good memory of your brother...If you can remember loving him for even a second...You can’t be a part of his death. Because if you play an active role in killing your own brother, you’ll never be able to forgive yourself. And never for a vampire, is a very long time.”

Elijah relented to her wish, knowing she was right. No matter what Nicklaus had done to anger him, he was still his brother. And though he was ready and willing to help kill him now, there would indeed come a day where he would regret this decision.

Phoebe took a breath, “We have to go back to Mystic Falls. Tonight.”

“Why tonight?”

“The sooner we return and explain our plan to the others, the sooner they’ll get over all the secrets I’ve been keeping and accept our plan for tomorrow night,” she said. “Besides, there’s something I have to do before tomorrow.”

The two cleaned up their dinner mess, hopped in the car, and headed for Mystic Falls. On the way, Phoebe called her sister and Hayley to tell them the plan – giving them more time to come around to accepting it. After all, she was requesting that they let her go up against Klaus alone, without any backup.

While Hayley and Elena talk to Phoebe, Andie begins to annoy Damon, so he sends her home.

“Tired of your little play thing already?” Stefan remarked, entering the library.

Damon was sitting on the couch with a drink, “Don’t start with me, Stefan. She’s just my distraction.”

“She’s a person,” Stefan scoffed. “You’re victimizing her.”

“You should be thankful she’s here,” Damon argued, stopping his brother from leaving. “She’s keeping me from ripping your head off...and the werewolf chick’s...”

Stefan turned back to his brother, “Why? Because we wouldn’t let you hunt Phoebe down?”

“Because you two act like you know her better than I do. Better than anyone,” Damon challenged, rising to his feet. “You act like you...like you’re in love with her.”

“Seriously? This again?” Stefan asked.

“I mean, it’s okay, Stefan, you can be in love with her all you want...if it means you’ll protect her,” Damon teased.

“You know, I think I know where all this insecure jealousy is coming from,” said Stefan. “I didn’t realize it until today, but now I know why you’re so threatened by me.”

“And why’s that?” Damon questioned.

“Because you know that I have the one thing that you never will,” Stefan began. The brothers were now in each other’s faces.

“Oh yeah? What’s that?” Damon asked.

“...Her respect.”

The moment the words left Stefan’s mouth, Damon lost it. He punched his brother so hard, he went flying back against a bookshelf. The sheer force of the collision sent books crumbling to the ground, along with the broken shelves.

Stefan retaliated by charging at his brother, grabbing him by the throat. Damon returned the favor. But before much more could be done, Hayley and Elena raced into the room, shouting for them to stop. The brothers released one another, but not breaking eye contact for several minutes.

The girls informed the brothers that Phoebe was on her way back to town with Elijah, and that they had a plan to keep Phoebe from even having to risk dying during her battle with Klaus. She’d explain more, once they got home.

A little while later at Rick’s apartment, Klaus’ witches return him to his own body. Rick passes out, after confusing Katherine for Elena. Klaus then emerges from a large case, happy to be in his own body, once again. However, his moment is short-lived, due to a surprisingly calm knock on the door.

Maddox heads to answer the door, but Klaus raises a hand to stop him, as he walks to the door himself. When he opens the door, he is surprised to see the person standing there.

“Well, well, well, this is a surprise,” Klaus smiled. “What brings you here, of all places, at such a late hour?”

Phoebe calmly looked him in the eye, and replied, “We need to talk.”

 


	42. The Last Day

Chapter 42: The Last Day

"Well, well, well, this is a surprise," Klaus smiled. "What brings you here, of all places, at such a late hour?"

Phoebe calmly looked him in the eye, and replied, "We need to talk."

Klaus' smile grew to show his dimples, "If this is about your necklace-"

"It's not," Phoebe interrupted. She looked over at Katherine. "Would you mind if we went somewhere else to talk?"

Klaus followed her gaze to Katherine, "Oh, don't worry about Katarina. As long as I tell her not to repeat what she hears, she won't say a word."

Phoebe gave him a skeptical look, "I doubt that very much. I wouldn't be surprised if someone's already paid her a visit. Maybe even gave her some…vervain."

"Impossible," said Klaus. "If someone gave her vervain, I'd know about it."

"Would you?" Phoebe questioned. "You've been pretty busy trying to stir things up in town. I mean, I suppose you might leave one of your witches to keep an eye on her, but…can you say with absolute certainty that she's being watched 24/7?"

Klaus looked at Katherine, who seemed to be growing more uncomfortable by the second.

Phoebe took a deep breath, "Look, I could be wrong. She might be too afraid of you to risk taking any vervain, while still being stuck under the same roof as you. But on the off chance I'm right, I'd prefer to go somewhere out of her hearing range to talk."

"And how do I know that this isn't some sort of trap?" Klaus questioned.

"You don't," Phoebe admitted. "But if it'll make you feel better, you can name the place and even bring your witches along for added protection. The only thing that isn't negotiable is the time. I need to talk to you, and it has to be now."

Klaus studied her for any signs of deceit, but couldn't find any. He listened to her heart, but it was steady and calm. She didn't avoid eye contact, or seem overly eager to get him out of the apartment for some reason. She was as calm as can be – calmer than anyone who's spoken to him so boldly.

"Very well," he relented. "Greta, stay here with Katarina. Maddox, accompany us on a walk, won't you?"

The next morning, Damon woke to the sounds of everyone – everyone except John and Jenna – convening in the library to discuss Phoebe and Elijah's plan. They hadn't explained last night, because Phoebe thought they'd be less likely to calculate where they'd come from, if they took longer to get back to Mystic Falls. Besides, there was still Aunt Jenna to deal with, once she returned.

"Tonight is the full moon. We should assume that Klaus is prepared to break the curse," said Elijah.

"He is," Phoebe confirmed.

"How do you know?" Stefan asked.

Phoebe looked around at everyone – except Damon who'd yet to arrive, "Because I spoke with him last night."

LAST NIGHT

"So is it Klaus or Nicklaus?" Phoebe asked, once they were far enough away from Rick's apartment.

"Nicklaus is the name my father gave me. Please, call me Klaus," he answered, with a devilish grin. Phoebe said nothing, as she continued to walk. Maddox stayed a little ways behind them, like an old timey chaperone. "Well, are we to walk all night, or are you going to tell me what you want from me?"

"I want you to find another werewolf," Phoebe told him.

"I beg your pardon?"

"I'm sure you're aware that Hayley is the only werewolf in Mystic Falls, right now – unless you've brought one with you," said Phoebe.

"Why go through the trouble of bringing one, when there's one here already?" Klaus replied.

"Well, you better find one before tomorrow night, because you're not using Hayley," said Phoebe. "And you're not sacrificing any of my vampire friends, either."

Klaus stopped, and forced her to face him, "And what exactly makes you so bold, Miss Gilbert, as to give me orders?"

Phoebe smiled light smile, "I have something you want. Something that you need, if you have any hope of breaking that curse."

"If you seriously think that you can keep your sister from me indefinitely, you are sadly mistaken," Klaus warned.

"Oh, no, I'm not talking about my sister. I'm talking about the moonstone," Phoebe corrected.

Klaus pulled the moonclone out of his pocket, "You mean this moonstone?"

Phoebe smiled, and began walking again, "Funny thing about magical talismans, witches can't actually tell what curse they've been linked to. All they can sense is that it has magic in it. There's no real way of telling if that's the moonstone needed for the curse, or…a clone moonstone that's been infused with magic."

Phoebe stopped to look at him, as she said the last bit.

Klaus stared at her, refusing to believe her, "You're bluffing."

"Let's do the math. You've been waiting roughly a thousand years to break this curse. Now, there are twelve months in a year, and at least one full moon per month. A thousand times twelve is twelve thousand full moons. Now we have to consider the rare blue moons – which, as I'm sure you know, is when a second full moon occurs in the time span of one month – and those occur once every 2.7 years, but we'll round it up to three. Three years is thirty-six months. Twelve thousand divided by thirty-six is…333.3, but we'll round that up to 334 for good measure. Now the initial twelve thousand full moons to the three hundred and thirty-four blue moons and you've got a total of twelve thousand, three hundred and thirty-four full moons," she calculated. "Twelve thousand, three hundred and thirty-four chances to break that curse, but couldn't. Do you really wanna risk using the wrong stone for the ritual on the off chance that I am bluffing? Because if it doesn't work, it doesn't matter what kind of tantrum you throw, the line will end with Elena. There are no more doppelgangers after her. Our mother is dead, and the witches won't allow me to carry on the line, because I'm just as much of an abomination as you are in their eyes."

Klaus' face was set in a scowl, "What do you propose? Vampires are easy enough to make, but werewolves are rare creatures. If I let yours go, I'll have to wait another month, at least, hunting one down."

"No, you won't," said Phoebe, stepping closer to him. "I can help you get one here by tomorrow night."

PRESENT

"You did what?" Damon questioned, entering the room.

"I wanted to make a deal with him to save all of your lives, in exchange for something he wanted," said Phoebe. "Well, everyone, except Elena. He would never bargain for that. But he did agree not to sacrifice Hayley or any of the vampires we know."

"Why would you make a deal with Klaus?" Damon questioned. He said it as more of a scold than an inquiry.

"I thought you said your plan with Elijah meant not having to let anyone be sacrificed" said Elena.

"It does, but I had to make him set aside any suspicions he had about me, by going to him to make a deal for all of your lives. If I hadn't at least tried, he'd have only grown more suspicious of me," said Phoebe. She took a breath, "Look, I know you're all still angry with me for keeping so many secrets from you…but there's still one more secret I haven't told you."

Everyone waited to hear what she had to say. Phoebe glanced at Hayley, who gave her an encouraging nod.

"Do you guys remember that two week break we had before the Masquerade Ball?" Phoebe asked. Everyone gave her various nods of confirmation – albeit, they looked a little confused, as it was so long ago. "Well, during that time I…had the moonstone cloned."

Everyone looked at her in surprise.

"The clone is the one everyone's been fighting over since," she added. "I kept the original one hidden in Marvin. That's why Luka astral projected into my room that night. He was looking for the moonstone."

"Phoebe…Jeremy almost got himself killed trying to get that thing back from Katherine," Elena scolded, angrily.

"Yeah, I know. But if you recall, I was a bit busy trying to save you from handing yourself over to Klaus," Phoebe retorted. "I can't be everywhere at once, stopping everyone from doing something stupid."

Hayley then chimed in, trying to play peacemaker, "She wanted to come clean, after she heard what happened to Jeremy. But it was better for everyone if you all still fought over it as though it were real."

"How would you know? You weren't even here, yet," Elena challenged.

"Because I told her," said Phoebe. "I told her the night Luka and Dr. Martin died, when I was telling her about the moonstone being fake."

Everyone sat silently for a moment, trying to process.

"Phoebe told me she thought The Sun and the Moon curse was fake," said Stefan, breaking the silence. "Is that true?"

"Yes, I was right," said Phoebe. "The curse is actually just for Klaus. One that he's been trying to break for over a thousand years."

"Klaus is a vampire born of a werewolf bloodline," said Elijah. "The curse has kept his werewolf aspect from manifesting."

"But if he breaks it," Phoebe continued.

"He'll be a true hybrid," Elijah finished.

"Okay, so how do we stop him from breaking this curse?" Elena asked.

" _I_  will go with Klaus tonight to the sacrifice, pretending to be you," said Phoebe. "Once we're there…I'll kill him."

"Just like that?" Elena asked.

"Just like that," Phoebe confirmed.

"And what happens when you die from using all that power?" Damon questioned.

Phoebe and Elijah shared a look, and he took out the bottle of Resuscitation Potion, "This is an elixir that I acquired some 500 years ago for Katarina. It possesses mystical properties of resuscitation."

"So  _ **if**_  I burn out, this will bring me back to life," Phoebe added.

Stefan, Hayley, and Elena seemed happy at the news. Rather than further encouragement to believe in her, Phoebe had provided them with a safety net, should anything happen to her. Damon, on the other hand, was still severely skeptical.

"That's your plan?" he questioned. "A magical witch potion with no expiration date?"

"Damon," Phoebe began.

"You wanna come back to life, what about John's ring?" Damon suggested.

"Those rings only work on humans," said Elijah. "The Anomaly is the biggest supernatural occurrence to ever happen. Odds are, the ring won't work."

"Well, I'll take those odds over your elixir," Damon argued.

"Damon," Phoebe said again.

"What if it doesn't work, Phoebe?" he asked her.

Phoebe shrugged nonchalantly, "Then I guess I'll just be dead."

Damon looked to his brother for support, but he gave him none. The same went for Elena and Hayley, so he stormed out.

LAST NIGHT

"If you lure Tyler Lockwood back to Mystic Falls, you'll have your werewolf," said Phoebe.

"Curious," said Klaus. "You won't allow me to sacrifice a girl you've known for a month, but you'd allow me sacrifice a boy you've known all your life."

"Well, I've never been a fan of Tyler Lockwood, and I would gladly choose to save Hayley over him any day; but he wasn't the wolf I was talking about," said Phoebe. "He left town with another wolf, named Jules. If Tyler comes back, she'll follow."

"How can you be so sure of that?" he questioned.

"Because we killed her entire pack, when they attacked us," she answered. "All she has left is Tyler. And I know Tyler is still with her, because she's the only werewolf he knows that can help him come to terms with what he is."

Klaus nodded in understanding, "Let me ask you something. What did this Jules do to you to make you want her dead so badly?"

"Who says I-"

"You said that you've never been a fan of Tyler Lockwood, and that given the choice you'd choose Hayley over him any day, and yet…you still choose to save him over this Jules person," said Klaus. He seemed rather pleased with himself. "You're pretty willing to give her to me to sacrifice. Why is that, I wonder?"

Phoebe shrugged off the memory of what Jules did to her, "None of your business."

"It becomes my business, when you demand I change werewolves last minute," Klaus snapped.

"…She tortured a friend of mine," Phoebe replied. "She hurt her so bad, she's been scared for life."

A smile spread across Klaus' lips, "Ah, now I see. You want revenge for what she did to your…friend."

Phoebe sighed, "Do you want the moonstone or not?"

"How do you suggest I lure Mr. Lockwood back?" Klaus asked.

"His mother. She's the only family he has left. If she were…hurt, he'd have to come back," said Phoebe. She quickly realized who she was talking to and added, "But  _hurt_ , not  _dead_. You're  _not_  allowed to kill her. I don't care if you do it yourself, compel her, or have someone else do it. If you have any involvement what-so-ever in her death, you are  _not_  getting the moonstone  _ever_."

Klaus gave her an innocent look, "Understood. Hurt, not kill."

PRESENT

While the group was discussing Phoebe and Elijah's plan to kill Klaus, Klaus' witch – Maddox – went to work luring Tyler Lockwood back to town. He made Carol call her son, and leave a message explaining that she'd had a terrible accident and was now in the hospital. When she was done, Maddox shoved her down the stairs of her own home.

Back at the Boarding house, Stefan follows his brother outside to try convincing him to trust the girl he claims to love so much. When he found him, Damon was working on a glass of bourbon.

"Breakfast of champions, huh?" Stefan joked.

"I'm surrounded by idiots. I need all the help I can get," said Damon.

"You know, you're not helping," Stefan remarked.

"Elijah's an original vampire, Stefan. One we tried to kill. You gonna believe this guy?" Damon asked.

Stefan became flustered, "What do you want me to do, Damon? Phoebe made her decision. She's choosing to trust Elijah, and I'm choosing to put my faith in her. You should, too."

"Why? She's going to end up dead," Damon questioned.

"Because she put her faith in me. She chose to trust me in spite of what I am. Even when I was in my darkest place, she trusted me," Stefan answered. "If I'm going to bet on somebody's instincts, it's going to be hers."

"Well, then, that makes you the biggest idiot of them all," Damon retorted.

Stefan looked his brother in the eye, "She chose to trust you, too."

"Then maybe you shouldn't be so sure about her instincts," he replied.

Meanwhile, back inside, Elena and Hayley leave the library to do their own things, while Phoebe and Elijah talk.

"You know, there's a possibility this elixir won't work," said Elijah. He looked her in the eye, "I don't want to mislead you."

"I know the risk I'm taking," she said. "But I choose to believe that I'll be okay."

Elijah's eyes fell to the potion.

"This isn't your fault, you know? With or without you, I'd have still figured out that I had powers and used them to defeat Klaus," she said. "Or worse, we'd have to let Bonnie kill him, which would certainly mean she dies, too."

"I know…I just-"

He was cut off by the sound of the front door slamming, and Jenna yelling for someone to get out. When everyone arrived in the foyer from wherever they were in the house, they found that she was aiming a crossbow at Rick. Rick begged her to calm down, but eventually had to prove that he was who he said he was. After which, he relayed a message from Klaus: "He's keeping up his end of the deal, Phoebe needs to keep hers."

LAST NIGHT

"What will you tell your friends?" Klaus asked. "I'm assuming you don't want them to know that you've made a deal with the devil."

"I had hoped to tell them that we made a deal stating that you'd find other sacrifices, while they were safely off the table; but they'll never believe it – Damon especially," said Phoebe.

"Well, perhaps I could give them something else to focus on," Klaus suggested. "I could take Tyler Lockwood and one of your vampire friends and lock them up somewhere, under guard."

"Yes. They'll be so focused on freeing them, they'll never notice you taking Jules and whoever else you decide to use for the vampire sacrifice," Phoebe agreed. "Take Caroline. She's new, and won't put up much of a fight. But you have to promise not to hurt them. I want them rescued in one piece."

Klaus tucked an arm behind his back, and held out another. Phoebe gave him her hand, and he kissed it. As he did, he looked at her mischievously, "I give you my word."

She truly hated making this deal with Klaus, but it was all necessary. If everything went right, Phoebe could go to that sacrifice – pretending to be Elena – and kill Klaus, before he had time to kill anyone. Well, maybe not Jules. Phoebe thought all of this, as she began to walk away from Klaus.

Before she could get very far, he called out to her, "Of course…there is no substitution for your sister. She will have to die."

Phoebe stopped, but didn't look back at him, "…I know…But if I can limit my losses to just her…"

Phoebe didn't finish her thought. To say anything more would seem far too logical, even for her. Leaving it unsaid made more of a dramatic impact, forcing Klaus to be more inclined to trust that there was no secret plan to stop him tomorrow.

"I'll send the moonstone with her tomorrow night," Phoebe called, beginning to walk again. "Tyler and Caroline should be rescued by then."

PRESENT

Meanwhile, Tyler arrives at his mother's bedside, without Jules. But she'd surely be there soon enough.

Elsewhere, Matt talks to Sheriff Forbes about Caroline. He's starting to doubt what she's been saying about it not being Caroline anymore, because sometimes she really seems like the old Caroline. So she's either putting on one hell of a performance, or the Sheriff's beliefs about vampires are wrong.

Back at the Boarding house, everyone, except for Phoebe and Damon, talk to Rick about what he's missed over the past couple of weeks.

"You disappeared," Phoebe noted, entering his room.

"I don't wanna hear anymore," said Damon, not even bothering to look at her.

"I'm sorry I knocked you out the way I did, the other night," she apologized. "If I had known you were gonna get this upset over it…"

Damon spun around, "I'm upset, because I thought what we were doing actually meant something. But it turns out you were manipulating me the whole night, so that I wouldn't question why you wanted to get closer later that night."

"That's not true, Damon, I don't waste my kisses on manipulation," Phoebe argued. "When I kissed you at the dance, I did it because I wanted to. And when we were here in your room…I wanted to kiss you again. I didn't want to stop kissing you, but I had to go."

Damon looked at his bed as though remembering the other night.

"Trust me, Damon. If all I wanted was to knock you out, I could've done it without making things intimate," she added.

"Doesn't matter anyway," he sneered. "You'll be dead soon."

"No, I won't. This plan will work," she argued.

"You  _think_  it will work. You  _want_  it to work," Damon argued back.

"You're right, I  _need_  this to work," she admitted. "But I have genuine faith in my abilities, and in what Elijah has told me about the Anomaly not being bound by the same rules as a witch."

"There has to be another way," Damon persisted, inching closer.

"Well, there isn't," said Phoebe, leaning against a bed post.

Damon stepped closer, "You're gonna die, Phoebe."

"And then I'll come back," she smiled.

"That is not a risk I'm willing to take," he declared.

"But I am," she said, picking up one of his hands to hold in hers. Damon eyed her suspiciously, not wanting to be knocked out again. "It's my life, Damon. My choice."

Damon looked through her lenses into her big, brown eyes, "I can't lose you."

"And you won't…not from this," she replied.

Phoebe stretched up onto her tippy-toes and kissed his cheek. She then turned to leave, so he could have some time to think. Unfortunately, before she could get very far, Damon flitted in front of her, blocking her path.

"There is another way," he told her.

Phoebe began to ask him what he was talking about, but before she could even register what was happening, Damon was forcing his blood down her throat. Phoebe used her powers to send him flying across the room, then bent over to try spitting out the blood. But it was no use. A few drops were bound to have made their way down her throat.

Stefan flitted in with Hayley. Hayley tended to Phoebe, while Stefan questioned his brother, "What did you do?"

"I saved her life," Damon replied, getting to his feet.

Phoebe stood up straight, again, revealing the blood around her mouth. Hayley and Stefan were both now coddling Phoebe.

"You're so bent on dying, at least this way I know you'll come back," Damon continued.

Phoebe looked at him angrily, as she continued to try coughing up the blood. She was coughing so hard, her eyes were watering.

Stefan was horrorstruck, "As a vampire! She'll come back a vampire."

"It's better than nothing else," Damon argued.

"How could you, of all people, take that choice away from her?" Stefan questioned.

Damon ignored his brother's question, and instead looked at Phoebe, "Go ahead, wish me an eternity of misery…You'll get over it."

Phoebe wanted to send him flying again, but before she could, Stefan charged at his brother. Damon quickly recovered, pinning his brother against the wall with a broken lamp post.

"Admit it," he said. "You just wish you had the balls to do it yourself."

Having had enough of his brother and his ridiculous jealousy, Stefan got free of his brother's grip and began beating the hell out of him. Everyone – even Damon – was surprised by Stefan's strength to defend Phoebe. But as Damon fell to the ground, he picked up the broken lamp post, and shoved it straight through his brother's torso.

As Stefan fell to the floor, the other humans arrived to see what was going on. Jenna was in shock – being new to all of this – but Elena rushed to Stefan's side. Phoebe stared at Damon, anger filling her eyes. The next thing anyone knew, Damon was on the ground screaming in pain…his blood was literally boiling.

Hayley grabbed her friend, and turned her away from Damon, breaking her focus, "Hey, save it for tonight, okay? He's not worth it."

Phoebe looked at Damon coldly, "Get out."

Damon got to his feet, and left the room.

"I'll get some blood bags," John volunteered, following Damon out.

Rick had Elena steady Stefan, while he pulled the lamp post out of him. Hayley took Phoebe out of there, and back to her own room to get cleaned up.

Elijah heard all of it from where he was in the library, and became disappointed. Though the vampire blood meant Phoebe would still have some form of safety net, should she die, it meant she would have to become a vampire against her will.

"Well, it sounds like you won't be needing this anymore," Elijah remarked to Damon, as he entered the library. "Feeding her vampire blood rendered it useless."

Damon ignored him, as he fixed himself a drink.

Elijah picked up the potion, and headed out, "Tell Phoebe I'll be back before nightfall. We'll proceed as planned."

"We both know that elixir wouldn't have worked anyway," Damon remarked.

Elijah stopped, "The problem, Damon, you talk a good game but you don't actually know anything. She'll never forgive you. And never for a vampire…is a very long time."

Elijah's words had more of an impact on Damon, than he would've liked to admit. It wasn't until Elijah had left that he realized just how badly he screwed up with Phoebe. He'd spent the last 24 hours angry with her for keeping secrets, accusing her of being manipulative like Katherine, and labeling her as the one to screw up what they were trying to build this time. But in actuality, what she'd been doing was nothing compared to what he'd just done to her.

Meanwhile, Rick and Jenna finally talk about everything. Rick apologizes for keeping all these secrets from her, explaining that he was just try to keep her safe from this world. Jenna understands, but more than anything she's glad he's still alive – given that Klaus could've easily killed him.

Elsewhere, Elena sits with Stefan while he heals.

"I can't believe he did this to her," Elena remarked.

"He's just afraid of losing her," Stefan replied. "It's selfish, I know, but…that's how Damon is."

Elena looked away, shaking her head, "She's my sister, and I'll always love her no matter what she is, but…"

"I know," he said, holding her hand.

"You need to talk to her," Elena said. "Take her out for a little while. Tell her what to expect when she –  _ **if**_  – she turns."

Stefan nodded, "Okay."

Meanwhile, Jules finds Tyler at the hospital. She upset that he took off back to Mystic Falls, even though she told him not to. He defends that his mother was in an accident, so of course he was going to come back and see her. Jules grabbed him and dragged him out, telling him that they have to get themselves chained up before tonight.

On their way out, they ran into Caroline. Jules gave them a moment alone to talk, but that turned out to be a mistake. Once she was out of sight, she was subdued by Maddox and Greta, and loaded up into a van. After that, they took Caroline and Tyler.

Meanwhile, Rick follows Damon to the Grill for a drink. Matt sees Damon come in, and becomes instantly alert – after all, he now knows that he killed his sister, and for all he knows, could be planning to do the same to his best friend.

Damon admits to Rick that he screwed up with Phoebe; but before Rick could get around to cheering his friend up, Klaus appeared, wondering what had them so down. Damon ignores his inquiry, wondering what brings him to the Grill. Klaus tells him that he just wanted to give further advisement not to do anything stupid.

In an effort to give Phoebe her choice back, Damon tries asking Klaus for a postponement on the sacrifice. Klaus asks Rick if he's joking, which Rick tells him he's not. Klaus stepped closer to Damon, to make it absolutely clear that he was in no joking mood.

"Let me make something clear. I have my vampire, my werewolf, and my witch for tonight," he said. "And before the ceremony, I'll have my moonstone and doppelganger. So you see, I have everything I need to break this curse tonight. Don't screw it up."

Klaus turned away and left the Grill, giving no indication of his real reason for dropping by. The truth was, he wasn't worried about them screwing anything up for tonight. He just needed an excuse to drop the hint that he had a vampire and werewolf already lined up for tonight. If Phoebe was correct in thinking that Damon was indeed paying visits to Katherine, then he'd undoubtedly be visiting her again after their chat to find out who Klaus had lined up for the sacrifices tonight. Leading him straight to Tyler and Caroline.

And just like Phoebe knew he would, Damon decided right then and there to save whatever werewolf Klaus was planning to sacrifice – having assumed that the vampire would be Katherine – giving Phoebe an entire month to get his blood out of her system.

Back at the Boarding house, Phoebe helps Hayley set up her chains in the basement cellar.

"Hey, Phoebe, can I talk to you?" Stefan asked, popping his head in.

"Sure. What's up?" she asked.

Stefan glanced over at Hayley, "Uh, actually, I was hoping we could go for a walk and talk, just the two of us."

"Oh. I can't, I've gotta help Hayley-," she began to argue.

"Hayley can set up her own chains," Hayley interrupted. "Go with Stefan."

"I-I can't," Phoebe argued. "I can't just leave for a casual walk, with everything that's going on."

"Yeah, I thought you might say that. That's why I brought this," said Stefan. He held up a sucker. "We drop everything for this, remember?"

Hayley was confused as hell, but Phoebe smiled and nodded, "Okay. I'll go with you."

"You might wanna change, though. Where we're going is going to take the better part of the day, so we might not get back until after dark, when-"

"When Klaus comes for Elena. Got it," said Phoebe. She ran upstairs to get changed and get the moonstone out of Marvin – she even straightened her hair, like her sister and put in her contacts.

"What's with the sucker?" Hayley asked Stefan.

"It's a long story. We use it as a code for needing a friend for something," he explained. He smiled a little at the memory of how 'lollipops' was created. "Don't, uh, don't tell Damon. He's already jealous about our friendship as it is."

Hayley mimed zipping her lips, and locking them shut.

Stefan gave a light chuckle, "Thanks."

Stefan took Phoebe to a beautiful waterfall nearby, that she'd never seen before.

"It's beautiful," she said, taking the sucker out of her mouth in awe.

"I used to come here to think, before I had you to talk to," said Stefan. Phoebe smiled. "I'm here, if you wanna talk about it."

"About what?" she asked, giving him a funny look.

"About this morning. What Damon did," Stefan answered.

Phoebe made a gesture of uncaring, "Pft. I'll be fine, Stefan, don't worry. I'm not gonna die, which means I won't be waking up in transition, so it's all good."

"If there was nothing to worry about, then why did you get so angry with Damon this morning?" Stefan asked.

"Because he tried to take my choice away from me," Phoebe answered.

Stefan shrugged, "Well, what does it matter, if there's no chance of dying tonight?"

Phoebe narrowed her eyes, "Touche."

Stefan smiled.

"I don't mind becoming a vampire, Stefan," she admitted. "So if that's why you brought me out here to talk…"

"It's not," he told her. "I brought you out here to talk about the reason or reasons why you wouldn't mind becoming a vampire."

Phoebe played dumb, "And those would be…?"

"Well, for one thing…the severity of your condition," said Stefan. Phoebe maintained her poker-face. "I did some research on cystic fibrosis."

"So has everyone else. What's your point?"

"My point is, if you're not looking for it specifically, it's hard to find the life-expectancy of someone with cystic fibrosis," said Stefan. "Most people dismiss that bit of information, assuming it's for more severe cases. People so bad they need lung transplants."

Phoebe blinked, and looked away.

"Do Elena and Jeremy know? Does anyone?"

Phoebe shook her head, "The only people that knew were my parents. All four of them. Well, and Hayley. I told her when she first came to town to earn her trust…My parents didn't want Elena and Jeremy to know, so they lied and said that I'd be fine as long as I take my medicine. I told Matt the same thing."

Stefan was surprised, "No one's ever dug deeper? Done more research?"

Phoebe scoffed, "No one wants to do that much research. When a doctor tells you that someone you care about is going to be fine as long as they take their medicine, you wanna believe them. You don't wanna find anything on the internet that says otherwise, because you really don't wanna know the ugly truth. You don't wanna know that your friend, sister, daughter, niece is going to be dead in about twenty years."

"How can you be so casual about this?"

Phoebe shrugged, "Because I've had more than enough time to get mad, scream, cry…pray for a miracle that never came. Besides, that's not even the worst thing the witches have done to me."

"You talking about the scar?" Stefan asked. Phoebe looked at him. "I did some research on that, too. There are only two things that it could be, but both seem pretty equally cruel."

Phoebe tried to make light of it, despite the tears she was fighting back, "My, aren't we on a mission today. Did I miss the memo? Is it Uncover All of Phoebe's Secrets Day?"

"You know, it might make it easier, if you had someone to share it with. Someone to talk to about it," Stefan encouraged.

Phoebe looked up in an attempt to keep the tears from making their way down her cheeks, "I can't, uh…I can't talk about this, Stefan. I can't."

Stefan took her hand, "I know it's hard, and I don't wanna force you. But you need to talk about it, Phoebe. And I think you need to get it out, today."

"Why?" she questioned. "What's so special about today?"

"Well, to quote a genius I once met: All secrets come out, when they become relevant," said Stefan. "And since there's a chance that you could wake up a vampire tomorrow, your reasons for that thought not bothering you are very relevant."

The man made an excellent point. She couldn't argue with that logic –  _ **her**_  logic. Either way, though, she could definitely stand to have someone in her life that knew her biggest secret. She just couldn't bring herself to even think it, much less say it.

As if reading her mind, Stefan began leading her up to the top of the waterfall, "It's a long way to the top. You never know what might come up."

Meanwhile, Damon pays Katherine another visit to collect on his kindness to her – bringing her vervain. However, she refuses to tell him where Klaus is keeping his werewolf, because she doesn't wanna get in trouble with Klaus. Damon doesn't understand. If he kills Klaus' werewolf, she gets another month to live, and possibly escape. That's when Katherine reveals that Klaus has Tyler Lockwood and Caroline Forbes lined up for the sacrifices.

Damon got angry, "And where'd he get that idea from?"

"Hey, don't blame me. He came back from his chat with Phoebe last night with them already in mind," Katherine defended. "If anyone's to blame for giving him the idea to use Caroline and Tyler, I'd say it was your girlfriend."

Damon thought back to this morning, when Phoebe told them that she made a deal with Klaus to  _not_  use any of her friends as sacrifices, "Phoebe offered him a deal to spare all of us from being sacrificed. If anything Klaus is just going back on his word…But why would he risk it?"

"What deal?" Katherine questioned.

"Phoebe told him she'd give him the moonstone, if he promised not to use any of us as sacrifices," Damon answered. He still trying to figure out why Klaus would risk Phoebe finding out that he took Tyler and Caroline, when he knew she had the real moonstone.

"But he has the moonstone," Katherine argued.

Damon waved his hand dismissively, "No, that one's a fake. Phoebe made a fake one before the Masquerade Ball, and hid the real one."

Now Katherine grew angry, "She what?"

"It doesn't make sense!" he said to himself. "Unless he thinks she's bluffing. But why would he wanna risk it?"

"Maybe Klaus wouldn't agree to keeping everyone off limits, and told her to pick," Katherine suggested.

"Phoebe wouldn't do that," Damon argued.

"Really? Are you so sure?" Katherine challenged. "When she came here last night, she told him that he had to leave with her to talk, because she was worried I'd repeat what she said to you. Obviously, she was worried about you finding something out."

"Look, just tell me where he's keeping Caroline and Tyler, and stop trying to stir up drama," said Damon.

"I already told you, Damon, if you free them. Klaus will kill you and everyone you've ever met."

Damon was about to try convincing her his way, but decided to take a book out of Phoebe's playbook instead, "What if I told you that we can't go through with our plan tonight, because the plan involves Elena being sacrificed so Klaus will be weak enough for Bonnie to kill, but we can't do that because Elena has vampire blood in her system?"

Katherine gave him a look, "What?!"

"Imagine how much fun that will be competing with Elena for Stefan's love for, I don't know, forever?"

Katherine seethed, "…The tomb. He's got them in the tomb."

Meanwhile, Caroline wakes up in chains. She tries to break them, but can't, because she's been vervained. Tyler asks her what's going on, and she begins to tell him about Klaus.

Back at the waterfall, Stefan and Phoebe begin talking about the pros and cons of being a vampire.

"I guess we'll have to get Bonnie to make me a daylight ring," said Phoebe. "Just nothing too showy, like yours and Damon's."

Stefan laughed, "To be fair, we didn't get to pick ours."

"Mmm. So what's the best part about being a vampire?" she asked.

"Ahh. You feel like you could do anything. Be anyone. Beautiful things are more beautiful. Everything's heightened, you know, just live= more intensely. Love more powerfully," he replied.

"And the worst?"

"Ah, you know the worst," he dismissed.

Phoebe grabbed his arm to make him stop and look at her, "Aside from the blood."

Stefan looked her in the eye, and told her the truth, "Anger becomes rage. When you're sad, you're in despair. Grief. Loss. It can cripple you. That's why so many of us turn our emotions off. It just becomes…too overwhelming."

Phoebe remained silent as she processed this information. She thought back to different times when both of the brothers exhibited signs of these extremes, and thought how much more sense they made knowing what she now knew.

"You know, for a while, for me, the good just wasn't worth the bad," said Stefan.

"How long before you learned to handle both?"

Stefan shook his head, "I'm still trying. But it's definitely gotten better, since I met you."

Phoebe smiled, assuming he meant her mood control power. For the most she's been there to take the edge off for him, whenever he's needed it.

"What else?" he asked, looking into her eyes. He was hoping she'd finally be ready to say what she'd never said out loud before; but alas, she was not.

"We should keep going," she said. "Not even halfway up, yet."

Meanwhile, Klaus returns to Rick's apartment, and immediately becomes suspicious of Katherine. Something about the way she looked at Phoebe last night, when she was talking about Katherine possibly being on vervain, again.

Klaus ordered her to give him her bracelet, and stand in the sunlight. Katherine cursed Phoebe as she complied, knowing it was the only way to convince him she was still able to be compelled by him. Klaus smiled to himself as she stood there screaming in pain – even if she was on vervain, she was still willing to do whatever it took to convince him she wasn't, so she might as well still be compellable.

Once that was over, he noticed the DVD on Rick's nightstand. Two weeks and he'd only just now noticed it. Wondering if maybe it was something planted for him to find, he popped it into Rick's laptop and pressed play.

What he found on the DVD was nothing like he imagined it would be – it was a DVD of Phoebe singing at the Grill when they had the karaoke night. Klaus was impressed with her voice, and couldn't help but…feel things, as he watched. They weren't actual feeling he was feeling, but stirrings of feelings. Warning signs that if he kept watching, feelings would soon come. So he turned off the video, and did his best to forget it. He'd waited this long to break the curse, he was not going to screw everything up now, by developing feelings for the girls whose sister he was going to have to kill in just a few hours.

A little while later, Phoebe and Stefan finally make it to the top of the waterfall.

"We made it!" Phoebe announced.

"Ah, that's nothing. I've climbed Mt. Everest," Stefan bragged.

Phoebe gave him a look, "Nobody likes a bragger, Stefan."

Stefan laughed, and they took in the view. It was breath-taking. Phoebe was already making plans to return and paint this, another day. She was picking out the colors she'd need in her head, when she noticed Stefan staring at her, rather than the view.

"What?" she asked.

"You can say it, you know," he told her.

"There's nothing to say, Stefan, it isn't going to change anything," she sighed.

"No, but it might make you feel better," said Stefan. "Not keeping it to yourself."

Phoebe's eyes began to sting from the tears trying to force their way into her eyes.

Stefan took her hands in his, and turned her to face him, "Hey. Is what I'm here for, Phoebe. For you to unload your problems onto. Someone to help you carry all that's weighing you down. You help everyone else deal with their emotions…let me help you with yours."

"The witches cursed me with a short life, as punishment for being an anomaly – something I never asked to be," she began. Her hands and chin were shaking. "But apparently, that wasn't punishment enough…They, uh…They took the option of kids away from me, Stefan. I was thirteen, barely even a woman, and they had to take everything out…I can't have kids…"

Even Stefan's eyes began to water, now.

"That's why I don't care if I become a vampire, Stefan. Because I'm not exactly giving anything up," she continued.

Her voice cracked on the last word, and she clasped a hand over her mouth. Stefan moved to comfort her, and she pulled away, shaking her head – but it wasn't at him. She was shaking her head at the battle she was losing with her tears – they were now flowing freely down her face.

Stefan stepped closer, and pulled her into his embrace. Phoebe buried her face in his chest and let it all out, for the first time.

Elsewhere, Damon attempts to rescue Caroline and Tyler on his own, but Maddox stops him. While Damon attempts to fight him, Matt shows up with a rifle, shooting Maddox in the back. Damon finishes Maddox, then turns to deal with Matt. He tries talking him down, but there isn't much time for it, so he simply knocks him out. When he checks Matt's gun, he finds it's filled with wooden bullets. On any other day – with any other person – Damon would've happily killed him. But he'd already screwed up once today with Phoebe, the last thing he needed to do now was kill her best friend.

Back at the Boarding House, Hayley gets settled in for the night.

"Those gonna hold?" John asked, peering through the bars.

"Well, just in case they don't, everyone's going to the witch house for the night," she replied, fastening her chains.

"How did you trigger your curse?" he wondered.

Hayley gave him a look, "You mean did I murder someone, or was it an accident?"

John made a face that said that was pretty much what he was getting at.

Hayley smirked, and got back to work, "I don't remember much. I was on a boat trip with some friends when I was thirteen. We were drinking one night, and the next thing I knew, one of them was dead. I can't remember what happened, I was so drunk…When I turned on the next full moon, I was in my adoptive parents' living room. I tore the house apart, and they kicked me out the next morning. I've been alone ever since. Until Phoebe took me in. She hardly knew me, and she took a chance on me. I'd never do anything to betray that trust she chose to just hand me. So whatever fear you're having as a father, just know I would never do anything to hurt her. That includes taking whatever precautions needed to make sure nothing accidental happens on a full moon."

"I believe you," said John. "But just so you know, it's a father's job to always worry about his children."

Hayley nodded in understanding, "Phoebe's lucky to have you. She told me once, that you were her favorite person in the whole world. She said she wouldn't know what to do without you."

John smiled to himself, "Well, I wouldn't know what to do without her, either...I'll leave you to finish getting set up."

Meanwhile, upstairs, Stefan and Phoebe return from their hike. Stefan opened her door for her, and held out a hand to help her out of the Porsche.

"Thanks for today," she told him.

Stefan nodded, and was about to say something in return, but stop short. He turned to his left, and saw Klaus standing there. Stefan pushed Phoebe behind him, instinctively.

"You had me all nervous," Klaus smiled. "I thought maybe you'd done something stupid."

Stefan just stared back at the threat, still as a statue.

"You ready, my dear?" Klaus asked, finally letting on that he truly believed she was Elena.

Phoebe held up the moonstone to show she had it with her, then mimicked her sister's nervous demeanor, "I'm ready."

Phoebe tried to walk around Stefan, but the statue finally moved, extending an arm so she could not pass, "No."

Klaus' smile vanished, "I wouldn't. No reason for you to die, too."

"No! No, it's okay," Phoebe told him, still maintaining her sister's nervous demeanor. She positioned herself in front of Stefan, facing him. "Stefan, hey. Hey, it's fine. It's fine. I'll go, okay?"

Stefan continued to stare down Klaus as though he were a Weeping Angel that would take Phoebe away in a flash, if he even so much as blinked. He hadn't blinked in so long; his eyes were beginning to water.

Phoebe reached up and angled Stefan's face down to look at her, "Stefan, look at me."

He did.

Phoebe gave him one of her comforting smiles, "I love you."

She said this not only for Klaus' benefit – to keep him thinking she was her sister – but also because she meant it. Stefan was very important to her – the way Matt used to be. The way Hayley now was.

Stefan looked down at his friend, and did his best to return her smile. He wasn't sure if it was the emotions he was feeling from her or his own, or the general emotional rollercoaster of the day, or even how much she looked like Elena; for all he knew, it could be a combination of all the above and then some. The only thing he knew for certain was that he wanted to kiss her.

Without even considering Klaus or anyone who might be watching from the house, Stefan leaned in and pressed his lips to Phoebe's. He kissed her with more passion than Phoebe had ever felt in a kiss before – though her own experience was admittingly limited. Phoebe kisses also surprised Stefan. There was more emotion packed into one movement of her lips, than he'd ever would've thought possible – not that he ever thought about kissing her, before now. But this might also have something to do with her mood control powers.

When the two finally broke away, Stefan looked her in the eye and finally said it back, "...I love you."

Now it was Phoebe's turn to feel confused. When he'd kissed her, she assumed it was to help convince Klaus – because if she really were Elena, she definitely would have kissed Stefan. Phoebe told her all the same things that Stefan had told himself before, just before she stood up on her tippy-toes and planted another kiss on his lips.

This kiss was short and sweet, though. And when she pulled away, Stefan went back to staring down Klaus, and anytime Phoebe tried to back away from him his grip on her tightened. She thought about using her power to relax him, but she couldn't risk Klaus taking notice.

"Close your eyes," she told him. Stefan's eyes moved back to her. "Close your eyes."

Stefan looked her over, as though taking her in, before complying. Phoebe backed away a little at a time to make it easier. When she reached the point where he would have to release her hand, he clung to it for dear life. Phoebe kissed his hand, using just a little mood control to make him comfortable enough to let go. Once she was clear of him, Klaus snatched her up, and flitted away. A second later, Stefan opened his eyes to find Phoebe gone.

Meanwhile, Damon frees Caroline from the tomb, refusing to do the same for Tyler since the moon is on the rise. Caroline begins to argue, but Tyler agrees that it's for the best if he remained chained up, because he'd never make it to his family's cellar in time. Caroline still refuses to leave him, so Damon leaves her there to keep an eye on him – to make sure he doesn't get free, and to make sure Klaus' other witch doesn't come for him. Matt stays to protect Caroline.

Back at the Boarding house, Stefan finally slumps back inside to tell the others that Phoebe left with Klaus, but the only people around are John and Rick.

"Where is everybody?" Stefan asked.

"Jenna and Elena just left to go to the witch house for the night," said John.

"And Damon?" Stefan pressed.

"He hasn't been home all day," Rick answered. "He went to ask Katherine where Klaus was keeping his werewolf. I haven't heard from him since."

"Where's Phoebe?" John asked, noticing she wasn't with him.

"...Klaus took her," Stefan answered. He took out his phone to call his brother with the news, but was cut short by Hayley's screams in the basement.

"We should probably head out, now," said Rick. "Just in case that cell of yours doesn't hold."

"We have to wait for Elijah," Stefan argued.

"Like hell we do," said Rick. "The guy's an original. A werewolf bite is nothing to him. The rest of us, on the other hand-"

"You two go. I'll stay here and wait for Elijah and Damon," said John.

"You sure?" Stefan asked.

John nodded, and the other two men left. Stefan called his brother from the car to tell him that Phoebe had now been taken by Klaus. Damon wasn't happy with the news – feeling he'd already somehow saved the day by releasing Caroline and Tyler, and killing Maddox. As soon as he hung up with Stefan, Damon called Klaus.

When Klaus got the call, he'd just returned to Rick's apartment from dropping Pholena off with Greta. Damon was very smug and proud of himself, when he spoke to Klaus. Again, assuming he'd just saved the day by killing Klaus' witch and releasing his vampire and werewolf.

Klaus chuckled, "Mr. Salvatore, when you've waited over a thousand years for something, you don't make the mistake of not planning for every possible outcome. You killed one witch, yes, but I have another. As for your friends, I meant it when I gave my words to Miss Gilbert. Her friends remain off the table for the sacrifices."

"Then why did you take Caroline and Tyler Lockwood?" Damon questioned.

"As a distraction," said Klaus. "You see, while you were occupied trying to save them, I was busy collecting my real sacrifices."

Damon remained silent as he thought back to how easy it had actually been to find out who the sacrifices were, and where they were being held. Not to mention how easy it was to free them.

"Vampires are easy enough to make, but werewolves...werewolves are hard," Klaus went on. "Lucky for me, Mr. Lockwood didn't travel alone."

"Jules," Damon guessed. Klaus made a noise of confirmation. "I gotta hand it to you, that was a solid plan you had."

"Oh, I can't take all the credit. Miss Gilbert came up with most of it," he gloated.

Damon became confused, "What are you talking about?"

"It was Phoebe's idea for me to use – Jules, was it? – as my werewolf sacrifice," said Klaus. "I simply offered to take Mr. Lockwood and one of her vampire friends as a decoy for you to obsess over for the day. She even suggested that I take Miss Forbes."

"Phoebe wouldn't do that," Damon argued.

"Are you so sure? She holds quite the grudge against this Jules," Klaus told him.

"Phoebe doesn't hold grudges," Damon maintained.

"She mentioned something about Jules torturing a friend of hers," said Klaus, pretending Damon hadn't denied her ability to hold a grudge. "She apparently left her quite scarred."

Damon thought back to when Jules' pack had taken Caroline and tortured her, but Jules hadn't actually done the torturing. Even then, Phoebe and Caroline weren't that close. It made no sense for Phoebe to hold a grudge for that. Klaus had to be lying, but then again...how would he know about any of that if Phoebe hadn't told him? Was this some kind of trick that Phoebe had up her sleeve?

"That's clever. Trying to stir up drama between me and Phoebe. You almost had me going," Damon dismissed. "Let me guess, next you're gonna tell me she told you to injure Carol Lockwood to lure Tyler back to town."

Klaus smiled and looked up innocently, "Well..."

"Mmm, see, now I  _know_  you're lying," said Damon. "Phoebe wouldn't willingly put someone else's life in danger like that, and she certainly wouldn't hand someone over to be sacrificed on a silver platter."

"You know, I do believe she may have been referring to herself, when she said that wolf left her  _friend_  scarred," said Klaus, continuing to ignore his objections. "I mean, the girl does have a few scars herself. There's a burn mark on the palm of her hand."

The last few words were said slowly, as though Klaus were just realizing something that had been in front of him all this time. When he met Phoebe at the school – while he was still in Rick's body – she had a burn scar on her hand. She had the same scar when he met with her last night. And  _Elena_  had the same scar when he picked her up from the Boarding house a short time ago.

Realizing that Phoebe had swapped places with her sister for some reason, Klaus became angry. He ended his call with Damon, and called Greta. He ordered her to do a locator spell on Elena with Phoebe's blood – explaining that the two had somehow swapped places.

Phoebe gives her blood to Greta freely, assuming she needs it for the ritual; but once she realizes what she's really doing with it, she tries to stop her. Unfortunately, Greta is quicker, and sends Phoebe into a sleeping beauty sleep.

Back at the Boarding house, Damon – who's just returned – looks at his phone in confusion, wondering why Klaus hung up on him so abruptly. His bewilderment is cut short, however, by the ominous sounds of screeching metal coming from inside the house.

Damon flits inside to find John equally unnerved.

"I think that was-," John began.

Damon shushed him so he could hear where Hayley had gone to. He inched closer to the basement door, cautiously – it was still closed. Damon wanted to let out a sigh of relief, but that would've be very stupid – Hayley surely would've heard that and come running. But even though he stopped himself from making a fatal mistake, someone else still made one.

"Where is everyone?" Elijah asked, appearing in the entryway.

Hayley rustled downstairs, making her way up to the door. Damon didn't hesitate – he flitted over to the basement door, and barricaded himself against it. Hayley did her best to get through, but Damon managed to hold her off – but the wood door was splintering fast.

"Get him out of here!" Damon called to Elijah. He wanted him to get John out of there, before Hayley got out and hurt him.

Elijah grabbed John, and flitted far away from there. Damon braced himself to follow, but Hayley managed to break through enough to nip Damon's arm. Not entirely sure if it was her teeth or her claws, or even a splinter from the door, Damon ignored it.

Damon began looking around for their back up plan – a wolfsbane dart gun. He spotted it in the living room. John must've been keeping it close, while he was here alone. Damon took a breath and flitted for it – Hayley close on his tail. He grabbed the gun, turned back, and shot a few darts into Hayley.

It was nothing fatal – just enough to knock her out if she got loose. The moment the darts injected the wolfsbane into her system, she began to weaken. A few seconds later, and she was completely out.

Meanwhile, Klaus finds Jenna and Elena before they reach the witch house, and takes them to the sacrifice site. Elena did her best to pretend to be Phoebe, but it did no good. Klaus already knew they had switched places, and was in a foul mood because of it. So as punishment for Phoebe's deception, Klaus fed Jenna his blood and snapped her neck...


	43. The Sun Also Rises

Chapter 43: The Sun Also Rises

It was a beautiful, sunny day in Mystic Falls The kind you wanted to go out in, because there was just enough of a breeze o make it comfortable. Comfortable for the people walking instead of driving to run their errands, for the patrons sitting outside for lunch at the Mystic Grill, for the children playing in the park, and for the girl drawing in the town square.

She was sitting on a blanket laid out in the sun, drawing away. She was so focussed she hardly noticed the return of her best friend.

"Alright, I got the burgers," said Matt. He sat back down next to Phoebe. "You sure we didn't need drinks?"

"Elena said she and Jeremy were gonna bring an ice chest full of drinks," said Phoebe. She stole a fry from one of the boxes Matt was checking.

Matt looked at her and she smiled innocently, as she ate the fry. Matt gave a smirk and shook his head, "You're adorable."

Phoebe smiled and nodded in agreement. Matt leaned in and kissed her on the lips, lovingly. Phoebe smiled, as she kissed him back.

"Okay, that's enough. Break it up," said John, approaching them. He was carrying a blanket of his own.

"Yeah, get a room," Isobel added, pretending to be disgusted.

"Don't give them ideas," John told her, laying down their blanket.

Matt and Phoebe shared a quiet laugh.

"They were just kissing, John," Isobel argued, sitting down.

"But that's how it starts," John countered in that fatherly manner. He sat down next to her.

"We've got drinks!" Jeremy announced, arriving with Elena.

"Perfect timing," said Matt and Phoebe in unison.

Elena glanced at John, "Let me guess, dad was giving you the 'don't-repeat-our-mistakes' speech, again?"

Phoebe and Matt nodded.

"Well, excuse me if I don't want my daughters to become teen mothers," said John.

"They won't," Isobel defended. "Just give them a little credit, and lighten up a bit."

John looked into his wife's eyes, and sighed, "Okay, okay. I'll try."

"So what took you guys?" Matt asked, eager to change the subject.

"Uh, my Aunt Jenna called," said Jeremy.

"How is she doing?" Isobel asked.

"She's okay," said Jeremy. "I think she's getting a little lonely, though. She keeps dropping hints that she regrets not taking me in after my parents died."

"Yeah, but she wasn't ready to raise a kid, especially a teenager," said John. "No offense."

Jeremy smiled to let his uncle know he took none, "I know. I just feel bad for her, ya know? I'm the only family she's got left."

"Why don't you invite her to spend the summer with us?" Isobel suggested. "Or you could go spend the summer with her. Whichever you two would prefer."

"Really?" Jeremy asked. John nodded in agreement. "Thanks, Aunt Isobel."

Meanwhile in the real world, Tyler begins to turn into a wolf. Caroline tries talking to him and helping him through it, like she did before; but the chains holding him now weren't as strong as the chains that were holding him then, and he began to break free. Despite his shock at the scene in front of him, Matt reacted by shooting Tyler with one of his wooden bullets. Caroline isn't happy that he shot their friend, but it buys them the time they need to flit out of there.

Back at the quarry, Jenna wakes up in transition. Elena does her best to keep her calm and talk her through what's happening to her. Greta soon interrupts to feed Jenna her blood and complete her transition. Elena tries to stop her, but she's no match for a witch. Greta traps her in a circle of magical fire – the flames would rise, if anyone got too close to them – along with her unconscious sister. She fed Jenna her blood – thus completing her transition – and then traps her in her own circle of magical fire.

Meanwhile at the witch house, Jeremy grows frustrated that they can't find anything in the grimoires that will help them keep Phoebe from becoming a vampire. Anna calms him by assuring him that they'll keep looking, until the last second. She then hears Rick and Stefan arrive upstairs, and leaves to greet them.

"Hey," Anna greeted.

"Hey," Stefan replied.

Anna looked around behind them questioningly.

"What's wrong?" Stefan asked.

"Where's Jenna and Elena?" she asked.

Rick and Stefan became unnerved.

"What do you mean? They're not here?" Rick questioned.

Anna shook her head," No."

Rick and Stefan pulled out their phones to call their respective girlfriends, but neither one received an answer.

"Jenna's not picking up," said Rick.

"Neither is Elena," said Stefan.

Rick's phone rang. It was Damon. "Tell me Jenna and Elena are with you."

"Why would they be with me?" Damon asked, entering the Gilbert house. "John said they left for the witch house before you guys."

Rick made gestures of frustration, "Well, they're not here. Anna said they never made it."

Damon shared a look Elijah – who had heard what Rick had said with his vampire hearing – then looked at John.

"What is it?" John asked. He was almost afraid of the answer.

"Anna and Jenna never made it to the witch house," Damon told him, putting the phone on speaker and placing it on the kitchen table.

"If Klaus took Elena, does that mean he knows that Phoebe isn't Elena?" John asked, concerned.

"Not necessarily," said Elijah. "He could simply be taking them as a precaution to dissuade you from doing anything to stop him."

"But you don't know for sure," John challenged.

"There is no way he could have found out that Phoebe was not Elena," Elijah argued.

"He's right," Stefan agreed. "When he left with Phoebe he didn't seem suspicious at all."

Normally Damon would have made some kind of jealous snipe at his brother, maybe wondering if they had kissed, or something, to help convince Klaus – not knowing they really had; but in this instance, Damon remembered when Klaus hung up on him:

" _You know, I do believe she may have been referring to herself, when she said that wolf left her friend scarred," said Klaus, continuing to ignore his objections. "I mean, the girl does have a few scars herself. There's a burn mark on the palm of her hand."_

Damon swore under his breath.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Stefan questioned.

"Klaus knows she's not Elena," Damon answered.

"How do you know this?" Elijah inquired.

"When I was talking to him earlier, he said something about the burn scar on Phoebe's hand," said Damon. "The son-of-a-bitch hung up on me right after."

"Why was he talking about the burn on her hand?" John questioned.

Damon explained how he thought he could postpone the sacrifice by taking out Klaus' werewolf, but found out that he had kidnapped both Tyler and Caroline, so he freed them both. He told them how he called to gloat, but was informed that they were only a decoy that Klaus had suggested when Phoebe was helping him devise a plan to lure Jules back to Mystic Falls. Lastly, he told them what Klaus had said about Phoebe having some kind of grudge against Jules for torturing a 'friend' of hers, and how he'd implied that maybe Phoebe was referring to herself instead of an actual friend.

"I mean, the guy's gotta be lying, right? Phoebe would never do that," Damon finished.

Before the others could agree that it would be out of character for Phoebe, Elijah spoke up, "I apologize if I distort any perfect images you may have of Miss Gilbert, but my brother did not lie. Phoebe told me what she was going to see my brother about, on our way back into town. But that deal was mostly for show. She had every intention of killing Klaus before anyone was sacrificed."

"I don't understand. Why would she make that deal in the first place?" Stefan asked. "Why not just tell him to find another werewolf on his own?"

"Klaus would never have agreed to that. He would have killed one of you, and threatened to kill another, if she did not turn over the moonstone," Elijah replied. "By agreeing to give him Jules it supplied him with another werewolf for the sacrifice, making him more inclined to agree to not harm any of you."

"And what about this torture business?" John asked. "Did that really happen? Or was she just trying to convince Klaus to take the deal?"

"Has to be a lie," said Damon. "If Phoebe had been tortured, we'd know about it."

John saw the expression on Elijah's face, and his insides knotted up, "Elijah?"

"I'm afraid Miss Gilbert has requested that I not discuss that particular subject with any of you," he replied.

"To hell with Miss Gilbert's wishes," Damon snapped, mockingly. "What the hell happened between her and Jules?"

Elijah looked at John for confirmation, before proceeding, "The night Jules and her pack of wolves went into your home in search of the moonstone, they had planned to interrogate you for the information they sought; unfortunately, you took too long to regain consciousness, so they were forced to question Miss Gilbert, instead."

No one liked where this was going.

"They held a stake to your heart so that she could not use her powers to escape. Jules then proceeded to hold a...red-hot fire poker to her exposed back," Elijah continued. He needed a breath to compose himself to say the latter. "Hayley tried to protest, but the others restrained her, and Jules proceeded to...question Phoebe, until I arrived."

John had to sit down.

"I tried to heal her with my blood, but the wounds were already cauterized and beginning to heal into scars," said Elijah. "I'm afraid my blood only helped to finish that process, leaving her back permanently scarred."

"Stop," said John. "I can't...I can't hear anymore."

Everyone needed a moment – or two – to digest this bit of horrifying news, before they moved on. They couldn't believe that they didn't notice any kind of signs from Phoebe, that she was traumatized in any way. The never dug a little deeper into why Phoebe was suddenly so trusting of Hayley. Not one of them had noticed a thing or bothered to ask any questions. And for that, they all felt horrible.

Back at the quarry, Elena checks her sister to make sure she was still breathing – she is. She then continues to try and help her aunt try to understand the changes her body is going through. But Jenna is still scared. Scared she's going to die. Elena assures that she won't – as long as they can wake Phoebe.

Greta brings in Jules – enclosing her in a third circle of fire – while Elena returns to trying to wake her sister. But it does no good – as Greta explains. Phoebe is in a magically induced sleep that she cannot be woken from, unless by the one who put her in it.

Back in Phoebe's dream world, Matt reads through a story Phoebe's written, while she cooks dinner. When he finished, she asked, "Well?"

"Well, it's certainly...interesting," said Matt. "How'd you come up with it?"

"At the risk of sounding like Stephenie Meyer, I dreamt it," she replied. "Well, part of it. The rest just kind of fell into place the more I thought about it."

Matt gave a light chuckle, "Alright, where'd you get these characters from? Some of them I already know – there's one based on Elena, you, Jeremy, your mom, your dad, me, even Caroline Forbes – which I don't get, because she's always such a bitch. But who are these other characters? Stefan and Damon Salvatore? Bonnie Bennett?"

"I found their names while I was working on a history project for Mr. Tanner. Damon Salvatore was part of a Founding Family. He died during the Civil War. His younger brother Stefan Salvatore got married to some girl – I can't remember her name. I think she was from England. Anyway, they had a few kids, you know, the usual boring life," she explained. "Bennett was the name of a supposed witch – Emily Bennett. Apparently, she and her entire family were burned at the stake for witchcraft. That was the end of her line."

"Well, you certainly put a lot of work into this," said Matt, taking a deep breath. "Vampires, werewolves, doppelgangers, witches. Your mind is an interesting place, babe."

Phoebe arched an eyebrow at him, as he walked over to her, "I'll take that as a compliment."

Matt wrapped his arms around her waist, and kissed her, "It was definitely a compliment."

"Good," she said, and kissed him again.

Back in the real world, Matt and Caroline make it back to the Lockwood mansion, and quickly lock themselves in to avoid being torn apart by their friend. Caroline asks him how he knew about her, and he tells her the truth. He told her mom about her, she gave him vervain, and he pretended to forget so he could spy on her.

Caroline asks what her mother had to say about her being a vampire. Again, Matt tells her the truth. She doesn't know what to do with Caroline. She's always hated vampires, but at the same time, Caroline is her daughter. She asks Matt how he feels about it all, but he avoids answering.

Meanwhile at the quarry, Klaus arrives with the moonstone. He passes it over to Greta – almost reluctant to part with it after all this time searching for it – and she begins the ritual. After a short chant, the circle of fire is lowered around Jules. She tries attacking Klaus, but still ends up with her heart ripped out. Jenna grows more frightened, knowing that, in due time, that will be her.

Elsewhere, after processing the news of Phoebe's torture, Anna and the guys agree that they need to find out where Phoebe is and what's happening. So they decide to send Anna in on a scouting mission by having Bonnie astral project her to wherever Phoebe is – a simple locator spell would only tell them where Phoebe is, not what was going on.

While Rick heads downstairs to tell Jeremy about everything that's going and send Bonnie up to do the spell, Jeremy finds mention of a spell that could possibly help Phoebe not become a vampire. Unfortunately, the grimoire doesn't go into detail, but it does mention Johnathan Gilbert. Hoping his ancestor wrote about it in his journals, Jeremy sends a text to his uncle to bring the journals with him, when he comes.

"Just close your eyes, and focus on Phoebe," Bonnie instructed.

Anna did just that, as Bonnie began chanting. The next thing she knew, she was at the quarry, witnessing Klaus tear out Jules' heart.

"Oh, my god," she gasped.

"What? What is it?" Stefan questioned.

"Klaus. He just killed Jules," Anna answered.

"Focus on Phoebe. Where's Phoebe?" Bonnie commanded.

Anna looked around and found her. She tried to race to her side, but the fire seemed to keep things out as well as in.

"I found Phoebe," she told them. "She's unconscious, but she's still breathing."

"Unconscious? Try to wake her," said Stefan.

"I can't, there's some kind of magical force-field around her," Anna replied. "Besides, I don't think she can wake up. Elena's been trying almost this whole time, but she won't budge."

"She must be inside some kind of magical sleep," said Bonnie.

"What about Jenna?" Stefan asked. "Do you see her?"

Anna looked over to the circle containing Jenna, "Yeah. Yeah, she's here, too. Though for how much longer, I don't know."

"What do you mean?" Stefan asked.

"She has blood around her mouth, and she's trapped inside one of those magical force-fields, too," said Anna. "Stefan, I don't see any other vampires here to be sacrificed."

"Oh, my god," Bonnie mumbled to herself. She broke the spell, returning Anna to her own body. "The only way to wake Phoebe is if the person who put her in it wakes her. We need a new plan."

Meanwhile at the quarry, Elena tries frantically to wake her sister, but it's no good. She can't hear her sister's please. She eventually gives up, and while Klaus brings Jules' heart to the altar, she encourages Jenna to run away the first chance she gets.

Back at the witch house, the rest of the guys finally arrive with the Gilbert journals. While Anna brings those down to Jeremy and Rick, Bonnie and Stefan tell the others about what Anna saw at the quarry.

"It's safe to say Phoebe won't be killing anyone tonight," said Stefan.

"Perhaps we should not give up on her so easily," said Elijah.

"Oh, give it a rest, would ya. She's in a magical coma, there's nothing she can do," Damon retorted.

"Yes, but as Phoebe and I have tried to explain to you on multiple occasions, the same rules do not apply to Phoebe as the rest of us. She is an anomaly," said Elijah.

"What are you saying, she can wake up on her own?" John asked.

"It's possible," Elijah confirmed. "But to know for sure, we must first know what is going on inside of her head. You see, just like with regular sleep, Phoebe is dreaming. Only in this kind od sleep, the dreams are more real."

"Well, it can't be a nightmare, or she'd be awake by now," said Stefan.

"Precisely my point," said Elijah. "If she is content with the world she has created in her mind, then I'm afraid she will not be waking up on her own. Not without our help."

"And how do you suggest we do that?" Damon asked.

"Astral projection," said Bonnie. "Instead of sending someone to wherever her body is, I can project them to wherever her mind is."

"Will that work?" Stefan asked.

Bonnie shrugged, "It's worth a try. But it'll have a better chance of working, if I send someone with a close connection to Phoebe."

"That'd be me," said John.

"Then let's do this," said Damon.

The group – minus Elijah – headed downstairs to tell the others of their plan. After that, Jeremy told them about the spell he read about in Emily's grimoire. John knows which one he's talking about, and helps him find the right journal to read through.

While they do that, a horrible realization hits Anna – they don't have time to wait for Bonnie to perform all these spells. The werewolf has already been sacrificed, and the vampire is next. Jenna doesn't have time for them to talk to Phoebe and convince her to wake up, and then cast a spell to keep her from turning into a vampire, should she die attempting to kill Klaus. They needed more time. Jenna needed more time. And Anna was gonna get it for her.

"Where are you off to?" Elijah asked, once she was outside.

Anna froze, "To buy us more time."

She turned back to look at him, but just stood there, staring.

"The werewolf has already been sacrificed, which means the vampire – Jenna – doesn't have much time. Certainly not enough for Bonnie to do two spells on John, and for John to try convincing Phoebe to wake up," she explained.

"All true," he admitted. "But how do you plan on distracting my brother for more time? Unless...I see."

"Jeremy, Phoebe, and Elena have lost enough family, I can't let them lose anymore," said Anna. "If Klaus agrees to take me instead of Jenna...I've been around for over 500 years. If I have to die for something or someone, let it be for this...for them."

"That's very noble of you," Elijah remarked.

"Just paying back a debt to Phoebe," she said. "She saved my life, a few months back. Her and Jeremy...You won't tell them, will you?"

"Tell them what?" he asked rhetorically, walking away.

Meanwhile at the Lockwood Mansion, Tyler's shifted back to human and been put to bed by Caroline. Matt finally feels ready to tell her how he feels about what she is, and so tells her. He thought he could handle and learn to be okay with it, but he can't. Her life is the supernatural world now, but this is still the real world. Bills, a job, dead sister, absent parents, school. He doesn't have time to deal with the supernatural world. It's over.

Back at the witch house, Bonnie sends John into Phoebe's unconscious, while Jeremy and Rick continue to search through the journals for the spell they need. John closed his eyes and focused on his daughter, as Bonnie chanted away. The next thing he knew he was standing in the middle of an empty apartment with Phoebe, Matt, and...Isobel?

"So what do you think?" Phoebe asked, excitedly.

Isobel looked around, "I like it. But are you sure you two can afford it?"

"Yes, mom, we're sure," Phoebe sighed, with a smile. "It's a good price, there's nothing wrong with it that we can't fix, it's a good neighborhood, it's not far from campus."

"Alright, alright, you've convinced me," Isobel told her. She looped her arm through John's. "What do you think, honey?"

"Uh, I think I'd like to see more," he replied, playing along.

Phoebe could tell by his face that he wanted an excuse to talk to her alone, so she gave him one, "Why don't I show you my art studio, while Matt and mom look at the kitchen."

"The kitchen is actually pretty nice," said Matt, gesturing for Isobel to follow him.

"I imagine it'll stay that way, too," she teased. "Seeing as neither of you knows how to cook."

Matt laughed, "That or it'll get horrible destroyed."

When they disappeared into the kitchen, Phoebe began to lead John to her art Studio, "I think I know what this is about. You're still uncomfortable with me moving in with Matt. But, dad, rea-"

"Actually, I'm here to tell you to wake up," John interrupted. Phoebe gave him a funny look. "Phoebe, none of this is real. You and Matt, me and Isobel...This is all just a dream."

"I, uh...I don't understand. What do you mean this is all a dream?" she questioned.

"This whole reality you've created here is only in your head. You're dreaming all of this, right now, sweetheart," he told her. He indicated to his wedding ring, "Isobel and I never got married, and we never raised you. You and Elena were raised by my brother and his wife. And you and Matt...Matt dated Elena, not you."

Phoebe became flustered, "No. No, that's not true. Matt and I have been together for years. And you and mom would never have given us up. You love us too much. You two even took Jeremy in when Uncle Grayson and Aunt Miranda died."

"No, Phoebe. As much as I wish that were true, it's not," John corrected. "When your aunt and uncle died Jenna took over as guardian. She's yours and Elena's, too. And if you don't wake up and help them now, Klaus is going to kill them. Jenna and Elena. He's already turned Jenna into a vampire-"

Phoebe waved her hands to make him stop talking, "Since when did you start believing in vampires? They're not even real."

"They are very real, Phoebe, you've befriended several of them," John pressed. "Caroline, Stefan, Damon, Elijah."

"Those are just characters from my story," she argued. Then she realized, "Which you haven't even read, yet."

"It's not a story, Phoebe. As much as I wish I could tell you it was, it's not," said John. "You're aunt and your sister need you, Phoebe. You have to wake up and help them."

Phoebe shook her head and backed away, "No. I-It's just a story."

John tried to plead with her, but she refused to listen to him. So much, in fact, she kicked him out of her head entirely – sending him back to his own body.

"What happened?" John asked. "Why did you pull me out?"

"I didn't," said Bonnie, equally surprised. "Phoebe must've kicked you out."

"But why would she do that?" Stefan asked.

"Because she doesn't want to listen to me," John guessed. "She thinks all of this is just a story she created. In her mind, she has a normal life. Isobel and I never gave her and Elena up, there are no such things as vampires-"

"What did you say to her?" Damon interrupted.

"I told her that it was all real, and that she was only dreaming. That if she didn't wake up Jenna and her sister were going to die," said John.

The others couldn't understand why that hadn't worked. Phoebe was a do-gooder. It made no sense for her to refuse to believe that this was all. Especially when it was John telling her, and when it was Jenna and Elena's lives on the line.

Elijah, however, understood why she didn't want to come back:

" _All my life I've been needed, and when you're needed you aren't free. When you're needed, you have responsibilities."_

But before Elijah could explain this, Jeremy raced upstairs looking for Anna – alerting them all to her disappearance.

Meanwhile at the quarry, Klaus begins to approach Jenna. Elena begs him not to take Jenna, but Klaus reminds her that it's Phoebe's punishment for trying to deceive him.

"Then take me, instead," said Anna, appearing at the top of the ridge.

"Well, well. I don't recall you being on the guest list," Klaus remarked, looking up at her. Elena and Jenna followed his gaze and gasped.

"We need to talk," said Anna.

"Very well, then," he replied, flitting up to her. "What can I do for you, Miss...?"

"You don't need to kill Jenna," said Anna. "I'll take her place."

"And what would warrant such an act of charity?" Klaus wondered.

"Phoebe saved my life a few months back," she answered. "She and Elena also gave me a second chance to be their friend and to be with Jeremy."

"I see, so this is your way of them paying them back."

"It's more than that," said Anna. "Jenna, Phoebe, and Elena are all that Jeremy has left, as far as family goes. He already knows you have to kill Elena, but if you kill Jenna, too, all he'll have left is Phoebe. But if I can limit his loss to just Elena..."

Klaus flashed back to his previous conversation with Phoebe. She'd said almost the same thing, when he reminded her that Elena would still have to die.

Klaus shook his head, "I'm afraid I can't accept your offer. You see, by killing Jenna it sends Miss Gilbert a message. She tried to deceive me, and that I cannot allow to go unpunished."

"Your message will be a lot louder if you take me instead," Anna argued. Klaus looked at her, intrigued. "By killing me you'll hurt Jeremy. And seeing her brother in so much pain, and being unable to help him will hurt Phoebe more than Jenna. And even though she'll want to get you back for it, she'll know better than to try."

"Intriguing offer," Klaus admitted. But he was still unsure, so he decided to get a second opinion. He brought Anna down to ground level, and approached Elena. "You know, it's funny. All this talk of preserving family, and here's your brother's girlfriend, granting your wish."

"Anna," Elena began.

"It's okay," said Anna.

"Well. Who's it going to be, Elena?" Klaus asked.

"No," Elena replied through clenched teeth.

Klaus glanced over at Phoebe, "Oh, don't worry. There's actually no choice."

Back at the witch house, Bonnie tries to send John back into Phoebe's unconscious, but she can't. Phoebe is somehow blocking him out. Damon volunteered to try, but Elijah pointed out that it was too late. By now Klaus has already killed his vampire sacrifice – be it Jenna or Anna.

Bonnie wanted to charge in and kill Klaus now, before he killed Elena, but Stefan wouldn't let her. Bonnie tries to argue that if she doesn't then Elena will die, but John reminds her about the spell. If they use it for Elena instead of Phoebe – since she's unconscious and not likely to be killed – then she'll be okay.

Damon reminds them that doing that means that Klaus will be able to break his hybrid curse. While Elijah agrees that it wouldn't be a good thing to allow, he notes that if Bonnie attacks him as soon as the curse has been broken – when he's at his weakest – then she can kill him without dying herself.

They're all a little leery on this plan, until John explains how the spell works. Much like Elijah's potion, Elena will die, but the spell will bring her back to life. The spell links the parent's life essence to the child's, and when they die, the parent's life essence will flow through the child, restoring it back to life.

Though some of them are skeptical, they agree it's worth a shot – certainly better than charging in there with no plan at all. Bonnie begins placing the spell on John, while Elijah and the brothers prepare to move out.

Back in Phoebe's world, she and Matt are in the process of moving into their new apartment. While he unpacks things, Phoebe sets things up in her art studio. As she pills things out of a box, she finds her story and thinks back to her conversation with John. She thought about everything her Phoebe character had been through and lost. She thought about all the things she stood to lose, if she didn't wake up.

Her eyes began to water. She liked this world. Everything was great here, she was happy. But it wasn't real. It was all just a figment of her imagination. And if she didn't get out now, it was likely she never would.

Phoebe sat on the floor, closed her eyes, and focused. She ignored all thoughts of her fantasy world, and thought only of the real world. Much like when John and Elena were giving her CPR, she caught flashes of the real world bleeding through. But where those were visual flashes, these came in the form of sounds. Crackling flames, shocked gasps, cries and please. She forced herself to focus harder.

Meanwhile, Bonnie finished performing the spell and headed out with the vampires. Rick and Jeremy tried to follow, but Bonnie had placed a boundary spell on the house so they couldn't leave. They protested and tried to leave, but it did them no good. They were stuck there, until Bonnie returned to release them.

Back at the quarry, it's time to move on to the next phase of the ritual – sacrificing the doppelganger. Klaus approaching Elena was the first visual flash Phoebe saw.

"It's time," he said.

Greta lowered the fire around the twins, and Klaus escorted Elena to the altar. He stood behind her, as she looked outward at her aunt and sister. This was the next flash Phoebe saw.

As Klaus began to drain the blood from Elena's body, she saw her sister begin to move. A few slight twitches, at first, but then she began to move like someone who had been drugged. To be honest, that's how Phoebe felt. Her eyelids felt like they were being weighed down, and her body felt like she had been swimming for hours and was now trying to stand out of the pool.

"Elena?" the rasped, trying to crawl.

Jenna watched on in horror, as she was helpless to do anything, despite her new abilities. Elena's body hit the ground, lifeless, and Phoebe felt her heart break. That was the end of the ritual. All fires went out, all boundary spells were dropped, and the sleeping spell was lifted from Phoebe.

Jenna ran to Elena and held her, crying. Phoebe stared on in shock for a moment more, before becoming very angry – angrier than she'd ever been in her life. She looked at Klaus, hatred filling her heart. But Klaus didn't notice. He was too preoccupied with feeling the curse lift from him. And Greta was busy watching him.

As Klaus walked away from the altar, a storm began to brew overhead. Thunder boomed and echoed all around, and lightening flashed bright. Klaus' bones began to break – to his delight – just as the rain began to pour.

Phoebe rose to her feet, making the trees come alive. Their roots emerged from the ground, taking hold of the hybrid. Greta tried to stop Phoebe, but this time she was the slower. A gust of wind knocked her back against, hitting a tree so hard she became dizzy.

Phoebe casually walked towards Klaus – who was trying desperately to get free, and failing. He saw Phoebe coming towards him and became confused.

"You can't...You'll destroy the entire town," Klaus told her.

"I lied," she replied.

Greta struggled to sit up and use her powers to hurt Phoebe, but Damon appeared and snapped her neck. Stefan ran to Elena and Jenna. He told her Elena was going to be alright, but that they needed to get her out of there. Jenna nodded, and followed him away.

Bonnie tried assisting Phoebe in killing Klaus, but Phoebe wouldn't let her. She knocked her aside with a burst of wind, which grew to near tornado strength.

Elijah did the only thing he could think to do to snap Phoebe out of this blind rage she was in. He flitted over to his brother and thrust his hand into his chest, taking hold of his heart.

Phoebe immediately snapped out of it, and the storm around them began to calm, "Elijah, no! What are you doing?"

"Saving you from yourself," he replied. Elijah looked down at his brother, "In the name of our family, Nicklaus."

"I didn't bury them at sea," Klaus pleaded. "There bodies are safe. If you kill me, you'll never find them."

"He's lying! Kill him!" Damon called.

"I can take you to them," Klaus persisted. "I give you my word...brother."

"Elijah," Phoebe called. Elijah looked at her. "Ne go ubi vaite. Ako ima shans toi da vi otvede do semeistvoto vi, tryabva da go vzemete. (Don't kill him. If there's a chance he can take you to your family, you must take it.)"

Elijah stared at Phoebe, silently. Damon looked between the two of them, suspiciously.

"Molya vi...Toi e vashiyat brat. (Please...He's your brother.)," said Phoebe.

Elijah gave Phoebe a single nod – which Damon didn't like the looks of – before flitting away with his brother.

"No!" Damon cried. But it was too late. They were gone.

Stefan and Jenna brought Elena back to the Boarding house, where they were soon joined by Damon and Phoebe with Anna's body, while Bonnie returned to the witch house to release Rick, John, and Jeremy. Hayley was happy to see Phoebe was okay, but confused about pretty much everything else. While they waited for the others to arrive, Stefan and Damon filled them in on their last minute plan to save Elena. While Phoebe is thrilled to hear her sister is going to be okay, she feels responsible for Anna's death. If only she'd woken up sooner...

Rick, John, Jeremy, and Bonnie didn't return until shortly after sunrise. Bonnie had broken the news to Jeremy about Anna being dead, and he'd needed some time to pull himself together, after that.

Shortly after their arrival, Elena wakes up. Everyone crowds around her, happily – except John. He watched the miracle from afar, as he placed two letters on the end table – one of them containing his ring – and walked back outside. A moment later, he collapsed, dead.

Phoebe looked up, searching for his face, but couldn't find it. She got to her feet, and walked around, trying to find him.

"Dad?" she called, looking around. She turned her head, and her heart broke for a second time in a few hours. "Dad...Dad?"

Phoebe ran to his side, rolling him over. She searched him for some sign of injury, but it was difficult to see through the cloud of tears filling her eyes. She searched his hands for the ring, but he wasn't wearing it.

"Bonnie!" she cried.

Everyone – except Jenna – came rushing out to see her. Phoebe begged for Bonnie to do something, but she couldn't.

"The spell we used to save Elena's life cost him his own," she explained. "John knew that. He gave his life to save Elena."

Phoebe shook her head, "No. No, no, no, no, no."

They all looked at her sadly, and watched as she begged her father to wake up. No one had ever seen her this upset before, they weren't sure what to do. Phoebe laid her head on her father's chest, and continued to cry and beg him not to leave her.

Hayley knelt beside her, and placed a comforting hand on her friend's shoulder. That was about all Phoebe would let any of them do for the next few hours. She refused to let anyone take her away, or even touch John. It wasn't rational, but then again, who ever said grief was rational?

Meanwhile at the Lockwood mansion, Tyler wakes up to an upset Caroline. She tells him Matt broke up with her, because he can't handle her being a vampire. Tyler doesn't know what to say. Caroline tells him she'd feel better if he didn't bail on her again and stayed in town. Tyler doesn't understand why she would want him to stay when he's tried to kill her twice now, but agrees anyway.

Meanwhile, everyone takes shifts watching Phoebe outside, while Damon and Rick arrange a sort of funeral for John for that night – that way Jenna could attend. Damon also compelled a grave digger to dig a grave for Anna.

After hearing this, Phoebe was more inclined to let them take John's body to be buried, but it was still nearly dark before she actually let them. While they did that, Hayley took Phoebe upstairs to her room and got her cleaned up. She helped her change into a black dress Elena had brought from home for her, and helped her change back to her glasses – as best as she could, anyways. She then left her alone to read the letter John left her – which they'd found while she was still outside.

Damon was waiting outside of Phoebe's room, pacing the hall. When he heard Hayley come out, he flitted over, "How's she doing?"

"Well, she's not crying anymore. But I imagine that had more to do with her having nothing left to cry out, than her feeling any better," she told him. "She's in shock, I think. Her father was incredibly important to her, and now he's gone."

Damon nodded, "I just wish there was more we could do for her."

"Me too."

Meanwhile in Anna's room, Jeremy and Elena have a sibling moment. Elena tells him how sorry she is that he's lost Anna, and that he keeps losing people. Jeremy replies solemnly that at least he still has her, Phoebe, and Aunt Jenna – even if she is a vampire now.

Back in Phoebe's room, Phoebe wonders what her father's last words to her will be. Elena's letter is probably full of apologies, she thought. But what about hers?

Phoebe sat at her vanity, and unfolded the letter. Her hands shook as she read the words on the page:

_"Phoebe,_

_It's no easy task being an ordinary parent to an extraordinary child; let alone two. I'm haunted by how things might have played out differently if Isobel and I had never given you two up – or if I had only asked for help in raising you two, instead of handing you both over entirely. But watching you grow up as your uncle was still better than not watching you grow up at all._

_I know you're gonna be sad, and maybe even a little angry with me, because of what I did to protect your sister. But I won't ask for your forgiveness. As a parent, you do anything to keep your child safe. And as sorry as I am that you're hurting right now, I'd do it all over again, if I had to._

_But I think the most important thing I want you to know is I love you. Whatever you choose to live out your remaining days as a sick human, or you decide to make a future for yourself as a vampire; I love you all the same. As I've always loved you, and always will._

_John."_

And just when she thought she had nothing else to cry, her eyes began to pour out more tears.

Later at the funeral, everyone paid their respects to the dead. Elena and Jenna even brought some flowers for Grayson and Miranda Gilbert. Damon wanted to help Hayley comfort and care for Phoebe, but he wasn't sure she wanted him anywhere near her. He wasn't sure she's forgiven him yet, or not for what he tried to do to her yesterday. But he wished she would, and soon.

A little while later, Damon headed off on his own, but Stefan followed him, "We're gonna head back to the house now."

"I think I'll skip the coffee, and tea cakes," said Damon.

"Damon, she needs you right now," Stefan argued. "She needs all of us."

"And then what's the plan, Stefan? The curse is broken. How does one go about killing an all-powerful wolf vamp, and his two-faced older brother?" Damon wondered.

"I have no idea."

"We need to get an idea. Fast," said Damon, rolling up his sleeve.

"I'm not gonna let them lose anyone else," Stefan vowed.

"I wouldn't make any promises, brother," said Damon, showing him his arm. "Hayley bit me last night."

Stefan stared at his brother's arm in shock. This couldn't be happening. Not on top of everything else. "We'll find something. A cure."

"There is no cure, Stefan," said Damon, covering his arm again.

"Hey," he said, getting his brother's attention. "I will find something."

"You wanna do something for me? Keep this from Phoebe," Damon replied. "Last thing she needs is another grave to mourn."

Stefan stood there in disbelief, as his brother walked away from him. There had to be a cure. There just had to be...


	44. As I Lay Dying

Chapter 44: As I Lay Dying

The morning after her father's funeral, Phoebe got up before anyone else in the house – as she often did. She hadn't slept all night, despite how tired she was from everything she'd been through in the past few days. First there was the decade dance, then training with Elijah, then the sacrifice, then her father's funeral...she'd been through a lot in just a short time.

Phoebe looked over at Hayley, who was sleeping on the window seat. She's falling asleep standing guard over Phoebe. Whether she was worried Klaus would drop by, or trying to prevent any other vampires from popping in to see Phoebe, Phoebe didn't know. Either way, it was fine by her. She wasn't exactly in the mood for company. Especially those who would look at her with pity. She never liked people feeling sorry for her.

Phoebe walked out of her room, careful not to wake Hayley, and closed the door behind her. She peeked in on her sister and then her brother. Both were sleeping just fine. Elena looked ready to fly out of bed at a moment's notice – should either of her siblings need her for comfort. Jeremy looked like he had only recently managed to cry himself to sleep.

She carefully snuck away, and down the stairs. When she reached the base of the stairs, she noticed Rick sleeping on the couch. Phoebe knew he wanted to stick close to Jenna, but sleeping down here instead of right next to her was a marginally better idea – even though Elena had given him John's ring back, just in case Jenna lost control. That being said, Stefan and/or Damon were probably not very far, with Jenna sleeping right upstairs in a house full of humans.

Phoebe turned back around and came face to face with the door to what was now John's room – or what used to be John's room. She extended a shaky hand towards the door and, after an equally shaky deep breath, opened the door. She looked around at the room – still the way he left it two days ago. The only thing different was his leather jacket. Phoebe insisted they bury him in a suit, so the clothes he was wearing when he died were returned to his room. That included his leather jacket.

Phoebe picked up the jacket and held it close. She took in its scent – John's scent. If she closed her eyes, she could almost pretend that he was still here.

"That'll get easier," said Damon. He was standing somewhere behind her.

Phoebe didn't turn to face him, "What do you want, Damon?"

"I wanna apologize," he said. "Feeding you my blood...I was wrong to that."

Phoebe turned to face him now, "Yes, you were."

"And I know I don't deserve your forgiveness, but...I need it."

"I can't do this right now, Damon," she told him, shaking her head.

"You're right, I'm sorry. Take all the time you need," he replied. He looked at her as though it would be the last time – something Phoebe would normally have noticed, but didn't – and he headed for the door. He stopped upon reaching it and asked her, "What you said to Elijah the other night...what language was that?"

"Uh, Bulgarian," said Phoebe. "He worked with me on learning it a few times."

Damon nodded thoughtfully.

"To answer your next question...I told him not to kill his own brother," said Phoebe.

Damon gave a light smirk, "Kinda figured you did. You're a good person, Phoebe. Don't ever lose that."

Again, Phoebe ignored the signs of Damon saying his farewells to her. Rather than becoming paranoid that everyone was going to leave her, Phoebe instead obsessed over John. Her mind raced with questions, like what could she have done to save him, or even prevent his death?

Damon watched her sink back into her thoughts, then left for home. When he got there, he poured himself a drink and greeted the morning sun. A moment later, he removed his daylight ring and allowed himself to begin burning.

Stefan raced in, knocking him out of the sunlight. He scolded his brother for doing this to Phoebe, for giving up. To which Damon replied that he wasn't doing anything but sparing her the pain of watching him die slowly. But Stefan still had hope of finding some sort of cure. He wasn't ready to give up, yet. So he locked his brother in the cell in their basement, and left to find it.

Meanwhile, Klaus woke up in the woods, having only just now returned to his human form. As Elijah handed him some clothes, he remarked that the full moon came and went and yet he remained a wolf. Clearly he can control if and when he shifts. Klaus can also remember everything he did while in his wolf form – another uncommon thing for werewolves.

Elijah reminded him that he gave his word to reunite Elijah with their family. Klaus remembers, and still swears to do so – even though Elijah did try to kill him.

"But I didn't," said Elijah.

"Not by choice," Klaus challenged. "I can see it in your eyes, even now, brother. If that girl hadn't told you not to kill me, you would have gladly done so."

Elijah stared at his brother in silence.

"No matter. Nothing can kill me, now," said Klaus. "Not even you."

"Yes, well that girl _can_ and _would_ kill you, given the chance," Elijah corrected.

"Yes, but I doubt she'd be that stupid, after last night," Klaus replied.

Elijah gave his brother a look, "You killed her sister, Nicklaus. Do you really expect her to just let that pass?"

Klaus felt a funny sensation in his gut. I felt like someone had just punched him there – and in a way, Elijah just had with his words. Klaus looked away, "She knew that was coming, one way or another. She's smart. After I killed her brother's girlfriend and spared her aunt last night, she'll know better than to come after me."

Elijah shook his head, "Listening to you, you'd think what you did was an act of kindness. But you and I both know you killed her brother's girlfriend to hurt her more than killing her aunt. She's an empath, Nicklaus. Feeling others' pain hurts her more than feeling her own."

As Elijah walked away, Klaus felt another pain in his gut. He chose to kill Anna to spare Phoebe the loss of her family member. He was indeed showing her an act of kindness, because if he truly intended to hurt her he would have killed them both. But somehow, he still managed to hurt her more than he'd meant to.

Elsewhere, Stefan calls Rick to babysit Damon, while he and Bonnie go to the witch house and ask the other witches if there's any way to save Damon. Emily inhabits Bonnie's body, again, telling Stefan that she won't tell him how to save Damon – perhaps it's just his time to die. But Stefan is smarter than that. Through their brief talk, not once did she say there was no cure, only that she wouldn't tell him.

The other witches hurt Bonnie, telling her that she's abusing their power. Emily leaves her body, ending their conversation. But Bonnie heard them say his name. She heard them say Klaus. Klaus holds the cure. Whether he knows of one, or has one, the answer lies with Klaus.

Meanwhile, Jenna needs for the vulnerable humans to leave the house for a while, so she won't be tempted to eat them; since Stefan, Rick, and Damon are busy with other things. Even Hayley and Phoebe leave for a little while to buy some lapis lazuli jewelry for Jenna to choose from, when she became ready for that – she'd declined to have Bonnie make her a daylight ring right now, so she couldn't get out and hurt anyone. She also had Bonnie place a boundary spell around the house so she couldn't get out even at night. It was all temporary, though. Once she learned enough control over herself and her new abilities, she'd try going out.

Elena brought Jeremy to the town square, where they met up with Caroline. The town was showing _'Gone With the Wind'_ in the square. People were dressing up, bringing picnic baskets, etc. It was quite an event.

Jeremy didn't want to go, but since Jenna wanted him out of the house he had little choice. Besides, Elena told him he should take a break from everything for a few hours. All of them had been through a lot, and this was to be their distraction from reality for the next few hours.

While they were setting up in the square with the other residence of Mystic Falls, Carol Lockwood left the hospital and charged straight into the Sheriff's Office. She argued with Liz about her not keeping the town safe from the vampire threat, and told her to start doing her job, or she'd give it to someone else. She then walked away, making it clear that this was not a discussion.

A while later, Phoebe and Hayley returned to the Gilbert house. They'd bought necklaces, bracelets, and rings of all shapes, sizes, and styles for Jenna to go through. After all, she would be wearing it for the rest of eternity, so she needed to make sure she liked it.

Phoebe headed straight inside, but Hayley fell behind. She could sense a vampire. When she turned to see who it was, she found Stefan waiting nearby for them to return.

"Aren't you supposed to be in the town square with your girlfriend?" Hayley asked him.

"I need to talk to Phoebe. Something's come up," said Stefan.

Hayley eyed him suspiciously, "Why don't I like the way you said that?"

"The other night, when you broke out of the cellar...you bit him," Stefan told her.

Hayley's face held a combination or surprise and guilt, "I what?"

"But it's gonna be okay, there might be a cure," Stefan went on. "I just have to find Klaus to get it."

"I'll go with you," she said. Hayley shook her head, "But you _**cannot**_ tell Phoebe about any of this."

Stefan furrowed his eyebrows, "She has to be told, Hayley. She deserves to know. It wasn't your fault. You weren't in control. Phoebe will understand that."

"I'm not worried about whether or not she'll forgive me, Stefan, I'm worried about what little sanity she has left," said Hayley. "That girl is only a stone's throw away from pacing her room, muttering to herself, and writing on the walls."

Stefan looked over at the house, "If she were really that bad, Elena wouldn't let her out of her sight."

"She told me she feels responsible for everything that happened. She thinks that if she had woken up when John told her to, he'd still be alive," said Hayley. "Or her latest thing is she should have been smart enough to know that Klaus would be able to recognize her by the burn scar on her hand. So if she had been smarter, then Anna and John would still be alive, and Jenna wouldn't be a vampire."

"There's no way she could have accounted for every possible outcome," said Stefan. "She only had a short time to come up with that plan."

"I've tried telling her that, but she won't listen. She won't listen to anyone. She won't even speak to anyone, unless she absolutely has to," Hayley told him. She gave a sigh. "She's convinced that this is all her fault. And if you tell her she's probably gonna lose Damon, too..."

Stefan thought back to a time when he felt that way. When he wanted to die because the burden of all the blood on his hands was just too much. The pain of all the suffering he'd caused was just too unbearable. But Phoebe had helped him through it. She'd helped him understand that we must learn from our mistakes, not let them define us. Own them and move on, not let them cripple us. Right now that's what Phoebe needed him to do, and he was the only one capable of getting through to her. But before he could do that, he needed to save Damon.

"I think I might be able to get through to her, but Damon doesn't have much time," said Stefan. "I need to find Klaus."

"Then I'm coming with you," said Hayley.

The two start the hunt for Klaus at Rick's apartment. Katherine is still there, and very unhappy. She doesn't understand why she's still stuck there, if Klaus is dead. She should've been freed from his compulsion by now. Before they can properly explain, Klaus and Elijah return to the apartment.

Stefan asks Klaus for his help in saving his brother, but Klaus tells him it'll have to wait. He first needs to fulfill the promise he made to his own brother: to rejoin Elijah with their other siblings. Klaus does so by planting a dagger into his brother's chest, sending him into the very sleep that Damon tried to send him to months back. When Klaus heard that Phoebe destroyed the dagger for Elijah, he had another one made.

"Now," said Klaus, as his brother's body hit the floor. "What can I do for you?"

"Damon was bitten by a werewolf the other night," said Stefan.

"And the witches said you had a cure," Hayley finished.

"Make me a deal," said Stefan. "Just give me the cure, and I'll do whatever you want."

Klaus walked over to the counter and poured himself a drink, "Trouble is I don't know if you'd be any good to me the way you are now. You are just shy of useless."

Hayley furrowed her eyebrows, "What do you mean?"

"I heard about this one vampire, crazy bloke, always on and off the wagon for decades," said Klaus.

Stefan stiffened. He didn't like where this was going.

"When he was off, he was magnificent. 1917, he went into Monterey and wiped out an entire migrant village...a true ripper," Klaus went on. He looked at Stefan, "Sound familiar?"

"I haven't been that way in a very long time," Stefan told him.

"Well, that's the vampire I can make a deal with," said Klaus. "That is the kind of talent that I can use when I leave this town."

"Okay, before we even begin haggling over price, how do we know you even have a cure?" Hayley chimed in.

Klaus called Katherine over to him and bit her arm, infecting her with his venom. He then bit his own wrist open and fed his blood to Katherine. Moments later, the werewolf bite was completely healed.

"Your blood is the cure," Hayley noted.

"Gotta love mother nature," Klaus joked. He walked over to Stefan. "Now...let's talk, you and I."

Meanwhile at the Boarding House, Damon begins hallucinating. He's thankful for the disruption of said hallucinations, by the arrival of Rick. Rick passed him his daylight ring and a drink. Damon accepted both, but then began trying to provoke Rick into killing him. He brought up Isobel and anything else he could think of to make him mad enough to want to kill him.

When that doesn't work, Damon reaches through the bars on the door and grabs Rick by the throat. He begs him to kill him, but Rick only vervains him. As he hits the floor, Damon calls out for Phoebe.

Back at the Gilbert house, Phoebe leaves Jenna to look through the lapis lazuli jewelry to find something she might like enough to wear forever. She wanders into her own room, and finds a present waiting for her on her window seat. It was a rectangular-shaped jewelry box, set on top of a note.

" _I am deeply sorry for the pain my brother has caused you and your family. I wanted to pay my respects to your father, and tell you how sorry I was for your loss at his funeral, but I feared your friends would not have been very appreciative of my presence there. And though I am sorry for everything that has happened, I know words a flowers on a grave are not enough to make up for what my brother has done to you. So instead I leave you this bracelet._

_The bracelet was something I found many years ago in the middle eastern region. The locals there call it the Hand of Fatima or the Khamsa. It's supposed to protect the owner from the evil around them and bring happiness to the holder. This particular bracelet has the added eye in the palm of the hand, which is supposed to see all coming danger and warn the holder of said danger. It is said that nothing escapes this eye._

_Though it has never worked for me, I hope that it will serve you well, Miss Gilbert. I hope that it warns you of danger so you can avoid it. More than that I hope that it brings you happiness._

_-Elijah"_

After reading the note, Phoebe opened the box to look at the bracelet. It was just like Elijah had described. It was several antique-looking Hamsa hands linked together to form a chain, each palm containing an eye. As she looked it over she found one of the eyes was sideways, so instead of looking outward, it was looking nowhere. Phoebe cracked a small smile for the first time in days.

Phoebe took the bracelet out of the box, and went in search for Hayley. She not only wanted to show it to her, but she also needed help putting it on – she wasn't skilled enough to put on a bracelet single-handed. But no matter where she looked, she couldn't find Hayley. She tried calling her, but Hayley didn't answer. Maybe she was at the movie in the square with the others. That would explain why she wasn't answering her phone. Phoebe pocketed the bracelet, and headed for the town square.

Back at the Boarding house, Damon tells Rick he needs blood, so Rick moves to get him some. Unfortunately, Sheriff Forbes has finally decided to do something about the vampires in their town, starting with Damon. She locks Rick in the small section of the basement where the blood bags are stored, and enters the cell with one of her deputies. Damon kills the deputy, and knocks Liz unconscious. With the little bit of energy he's just gained from killing the deputy, he goes searching for Phoebe.

Meanwhile in the town square, Elena wonders what's taking Stefan so long to get to the movie. The question is soon replaced by something more urgent, when Rick calls to tell them about Damon's condition. Not only that, but Caroline's mother came to the house to kill him, and inadvertently let him escape.

Elena and Bonnie want Jeremy to stay out of it and let Bonnie and Caroline handle tracking down the sick vampire; but Jeremy refuses. They made him sit out last time, and Anna ended up dead. He'll be damned if he lets Damon hurt someone – quite possibly Phoebe – by sitting on the sidelines, when he could've been helping.

Shortly after storming off, Jeremy spots Damon wandering nearby. He didn't look too good. He was sweating, and pale – paler than usual. He looked like he had a severe case of the flu. Jeremy helped him get away from all of the innocent bystanders and brought him into the Grill – which was empty.

While Jeremy calls the others to tell them he found Damon, Liz shows up. She aims her gun at Damon's chest and pulls the trigger. Unfortunately, Damon was still quick enough to react, and flitted away before the wooden bullet could hit him. Though he managed to dodge the bullet, Jeremy did not. The bullet pierced his chest, killing him instantly.

Elena, Caroline, and Bonnie arrived moments later to find the horrific sight. Caroline tried saving him with her blood, but it did no good. Jeremy was already dead. Elena held her brother, and cried. That was the first thing Rick saw, when he arrived.

Thankfully, for them all, Bonnie was able to think clearly enough to have an idea. She ordered Elena and Rick to get Jeremy's body and load it into the car. Liz protested – this was now a crime scene, after all – but Caroline told her to let them do whatever they had to do to save him, and she let them go.

Meanwhile at Rick's apartment, everyone gathered around the island in the kitchen area, as Klaus filled a small glass bottle with his blood.

"There it is," he said. "You want to save your brother? How 'bout a decade-long bender?"

Stefan stared at the bottle in Klaus' hand, weighing his options.

Hayley looked back and forth between the two. Katherine did the same.

"I have big plans for you, when we leave this town," Klaus told Stefan.

"I'm not like that anymore," Stefan replied.

"Well, that's too bad," said Klaus. He began emptying the bottle's contents down the drain. "You would've made a hell of a wingman."

"Wait."

Klaus looked up at Stefan, and smiled, "Now that's more like it."

"Stefan," Hayley began, giving him a look. But Stefan silenced her with a simple gesture. This was his decision, not hers.

"I want you to join me for a drink," Klaus went on. He slid a blood bag over to Stefan.

Stefan pulled the tab on the blood bag and took a sip. This wouldn't be so bad. Phoebe had helped him ages ago with his blood issues. He could drink human blood without losing control now. But one sip wasn't what Klaus wanted from him.

"Finish it," he commanded.

Stefan didn't comply.

Klaus took a breath, "You do everything I say, and I save your brother. That's the deal."

Stefan braced himself, and finished the bag. But even that wasn't good enough for Klaus.

He passed Stefan another bag, "Again."

Stefan pulled the tab on the bag and down it, too.

Meanwhile at the witch house, Bonnie tries using her magic to bring Jeremy back to life, but the other witches are stopping her. They tell her that there will be consequences, if she brings him back from the dead, because it will upset the balance of nature. But Bonnie doesn't care. She claims they owe the Gilbert family for all that they've lost at the hands of Klaus. They can't ask Phoebe and Elena to lose another person so soon. The witches allow Jeremy to be revived.

Back in the town square, Phoebe searches for Hayley with no luck. She can't even seem to find her siblings there. Maybe they all lied about the movie and went somewhere else. Would they be stupid enough to plot to kill Klaus without her?

"Phoebe," Damon rasped from behind her.

Phoebe turned to face him, and was immediately upset by the sight of him. She'd seen a sick vampire before, she knew what it looked liked when they were bitten by a werewolf, and that's exactly how Damon looked now.

Phoebe's eyes scanned him for any sign of a bite mark, until they found one on his arm. She grabbed his arm to get a better look, "No, no, no, no, no, no. Not you, too."

"Phoebe, I...I don't feel so good," said Damon.

Phoebe composed herself, and got a better hold of him, "Come on. We've gotta get you out of here."

"Where are we going?" he asked. That's when he began to hallucinate, again.

Damon remembered a time when he chased Katherine through the woods at night. He told her he wanted to keep chasing her forever, and begged her to feed him her blood. Katherine told him she would not feed him. If he wanted her blood, he had to take it.

Damon, moving with his vampiric speed, pinned Phoebe to a nearby telephone pole and looked down into her eyes, "I choose you, Katherine."

"Damon, look at me. It's Phoebe. I'm Phoebe, not Katherine," she told him.

"Promise me you will not tell my brother," he went on. She clearly wasn't getting through to him.

In the memory he was reliving, Katherine promised not to tell Stefan. Damon leaned in towards her neck.

"Damon. No," Phoebe protested, pushing him back. It was a struggle she was losing. Even in his weakened state, he was stronger than she'd ever be.

"I have to," he told her. "If we are to be together forever."

Damon bit down on her neck, and began drinking her blood.

"Damon, stop! You're hallucinating," Phoebe argued. Damon continued to drink. "Damon please...you're hurting me."

Damon pulled away from her, saddened that he'd hurt her, "Phoebe?"

Phoebe looked back at him, as she put pressure on the part of her neck that he'd bit into. Damon collapsed to the ground, unconscious. Phoebe looked around to make sure no one was watching them suspiciously, as she tried calling Hayley again. She still didn't answer. She tried Stefan next, but he wouldn't answer either.

"Dammit!" she sighed. What was she going to do, now? She hadn't driven here, and she couldn't carry him. He was the one with superhuman strength, not her. And no one wanted to take any of her calls, so she had no one to ask for help.

"Phoebe?"

Phoebe snapped her head around to see who was addressing her. "Matt?"

"What are you-" he began. He stopped when he saw her holding her bleeding neck, and Damon unconscious on the ground.

Phoebe could see Matt's demeanor change from curious to concern, and then anger, "Matt, he's sick."

"Yeah, that's one way to put it."

"No, I mean he's got the vampire equivalent of the flu. He's hallucinating. He isn't himself," Phoebe informed. "He only bit me, because he thought I was Katherine. He's delusional."

Matt seemed to accept her explanation of his behavior – mostly because he really did look sickly – but he wasn't exactly in any hurry to help the guy. He moved closer to his friend to help stop the bleeding of her neck.

He reached over towards her purse, snapped open one of the smaller outer compartments, and pulled out a large patch bandage. He peeled off the wrapper and placed it over the two holes on her neck.

"Thanks," said Phoebe.

"Lucky for you, your purse is always stocked to last you through a zombie apocalypse," he joked.

Phoebe gave a light chuckle.

Damon groaned on the ground.

"Help me get him home," Phoebe requested.

"I'm not helping him," Matt told her. "He killed Vicki."

"Well, lucky for him, you won't be doing it for him," said Phoebe. "You'll be doing it for all these people around him."

"What are you talking about?"

"I've seen this before, Matt. When a vampire is sick like this, they don't just sweat profusely, throw up blood, and hallucinate. They get hungry, and they get mean," Phoebe explained. "So if someone doesn't help me get him out of here, he's going to kill a lot of innocent people."

Matt didn't want to help Damon in any way, but if Phoebe was right...He couldn't just ignore the situation and let Damon kill more people. So he went and got his truck, helped Phoebe put him inside of it, and then drove them to the boarding house.

Meanwhile, Caroline and her mom wait in the Grill for news of Jeremy. Bonnie finally calls and tells them the good news. Liz is relieved to hear that she didn't kill him, but Caroline is forced to tell her that she did in fact kill Jeremy when she shot him. Liz doesn't understand. Caroline tells her that she explained this all to her once before, but she had to make her forget for fear of what might happen.

Caroline decides then and there that she no longer wants to live in fear of what her mother might do if she ever found out she was a vampire, again; nor does she want her mother to be afraid of her. She may be a vampire, but she's still her daughter. Liz decides to accept this, and embraces her daughter.

When they finally arrive at the Boarding house, Matt helps Phoebe get Damon onto the couch in the living room.

"Thanks," said Phoebe. "Now, get out of here before he wakes up. He's never been particularly fond of you, and I don't want him to hurt you."

"I'm not leavin' you here alone," Matt argued. "You said it yourself, he's out of his mind. What are you gonna do if he tries to bite you again?"

"Matt, I'll be fine."

"I'm stayin'," Matt declared.

Phoebe nodded, "Okay. Can you go into the kitchen and get me a bowl of cold water and a wash cloth?"

Matt looked a little leery about leaving her at all, but did so anyways.

"Phoebe?" Damon rasped.

Phoebe turned around, and knelt by his side, "I'm right here."

"Get out of here," he groaned. "I could hurt you."

"No, you won't," she said, shaking her head.

"Get out of here," Damon persisted.

Phoebe made him look her in the eye, "Not gonna happen. You're stuck with me."

A wave of pain swept over Damon, and he cried out. Phoebe took one of his hands in both of hers, and closed her eyes. Like with Rose, she siphoned away his pain.

Matt returned in time to witness her power – he'd come running when he heard Damon crying out, unsure what might be happening. Placed the bowl and wash cloth down on the coffee table next to Phoebe, "What was that?"

"It's one of the side effects of the sickness. Random waves of pain," Phoebe answered, picking up the cloth with one hand and dipping it into the bowl.

"No, I mean the thing you did. You held his hand and then it was like the pain just went away," said Matt.

Phoebe moved the cloth around the bowl, getting it nice and soaked, "It's one of my powers. I can take away people's pain for a time. It's similar to what I was trying to do for you when you came to me freaking out about Caroline being a vampire."

"Phoebe...," Damon mumbled.

Phoebe rung out the cloth with one hand – still holding his hand with her other hand – then pressed it to his forehead, "Shhh. It's okay. I'm still here."

"It's not okay," he panted. "All those years, I've blamed Stefan...No one forced me to love her...It was my own choice...I made the wrong choice...Tell Stefan I'm sorry...Okay?"

Phoebe choked back tears, forced a smile, and nodded.

Meanwhile at Rick's apartment, Hayley watches on in horror as Stefan downs bag after bag after bag of blood.

"You're very cooperative," Klaus noted. "It's almost as if you're enjoying it."

"That's enough," Hayley declared. "He's done what you've asked, now give us the cure."

Klaus frowned, "Not until we make a deal. It's your choice, Stefan. You can either remain here living your life in Mystic Falls, or you can embrace what you truly are, leave town with me, and save your brother's life."

Stefan mulls it over for a moment, nodding in response.

"Excellent," Klaus beamed. He handed the bottle of his blood over to Hayley, and sent her on her way. Having a new source of entertainment, Klaus freed Katherine from being confined to the apartment. She shot out of there like a bat out of hell.

Back at the Boarding house, Matt has collected a stake to kill Damon if he tries to hurt Phoebe again, and Phoebe continues to wipe the sweat from Damon's face and neck.

"This is even more pitiful than I thought," Damon remarked. Phoebe said nothing. "I've made a lot of choices that have gotten me here. I deserve this. I deserve to die."

"No," Phoebe argued. "No, you don't."

"I do, Phoebe. It's okay. 'Cause if I'd have chosen differently, I never would have met you," Damon told her. Phoebe rested her face on the hand she was still holding, and looked at him sadly. "I'm so sorry for all the things I've done to hurt you."

Phoebe forced a smile, "It's okay. You know I've forgiven you."

"Thank you. For showing me what real love is," he continued.

Matt began to feel a little awkward. Part of him wanted to feel for the guy, but there was still the fact that he'd killed his sister. Phoebe and the others may have had time to accept that and move on, but for Matt it was still relatively new to him.

"You should have met me in 1864. You would have liked me," said Damon.

Phoebe kissed his hand, as a few tears made their way down her cheeks, "I like you just fine, now. Well, aside from your homicidal tendencies."

Damon smiled.

The front door opened, and Hayley walked in. She was surprised to see Phoebe and Matt there, but didn't let that slow her down. She walked over to Damon and told him to drink the blood.

"What is that?" Matt asked.

"Klaus' blood. Apparently it curse werewolf bites," Hayley answered. "What are you two doing here?"

"I went out looking for you, and found Damon wandering around the square like this. Matt helped me bring him back here," Phoebe answered. "How did you find out about the cure?"

"I didn't. Stefan did. He and Bonnie spoke to the dead witches at the witch house, and they said something about Klaus having a cure, so we went to talk to Klaus," said Hayley.

Phoebe looked unnerved.

Damon shot up on the couch, feeling much better, "Where's Stefan?"

Hayley looked between the two, "Klaus only agreed give Damon the cure _**if**_ Stefan agreed to leave town with him."

"What?" Damon questioned.

"Klaus kept going on about Stefan being a ripper. He said that was the kind of vampire he could make a deal with, then he practically force-fed Stefan a bunch of blood bags," said Hayley. She took a breath and looked at Phoebe. "That's not all. He daggered Elijah."

"Wha...B-But how?" Phoebe questioned. "I destroyed the dagger."

Hayley shrugged, "I don't know. He must've had his witches make another one before they died."

"Where are they?" Damon asked.

"Why? So you can go over there and get yourself killed?" Hayley countered. "You were just cured of a werewolf bite. And even if you hadn't, you're no match for Klaus."

"Insufferable martyr," Damon mumbled.

Meanwhile, Matt stood there watching their exchange, unsure of what they were even talking about, much less what to say. Phoebe, on the other hand, was sinking within herself. Yet again, she blamed herself for what was happening. If she had killed Klaus, Stefan wouldn't have to leave with him.

A short time later, Klaus brought Stefan to a nearby warehouse where he was storing his siblings. He added Elijah to the collection, and compelled some movers to load the lot into a moving truck. Stefan gets a text from Hayley telling him that she made it to Damon in time, easing some of his nerves.

Klaus wanted to make sure Stefan continued to honor their deal, so he told him to feed on a living girl. But it turned out not to be that simple. A true ripper enjoys the hunt. No compulsion. So Stefan chased the poor girl down and killed her.

It was a long night for everyone at the Gilbert house. The entire gang was brought up to speed on the day's events, and Elena was told the bad news – that her boyfriend was shanghaied into Klaus' servitude. Phoebe couldn't face her sister – still blaming herself for Stefan being forced to serve Klaus and leave Elena – so she stayed at the Boarding house that night with Hayley.

Jeremy and Jenna, however, spent the night keeping Elena company. When she eventually cried herself to sleep, the two took turns watching over her. While Jeremy was on his shift, he heard a strange noise downstairs. When he went to investigate it, he found something unexpected: Anna. He thought maybe he was just imagining it, so he turned around and came face to face with another unexpected sight: Vicki Donovan...


	45. Chapter 45

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Phoebe is finally back! Sorry for the long wait, guys, but then again I did warn you that I would take about a month or so to get ahead. The timeline I was using for this series was all screwed up so I had to take time to fix that. Like the show had them starting school at most a couple of weeks after Elena's birthday which is in June, but school doesn't start until September. Wtf?
> 
> Anyways, there are going to be a couple of shorter chapters to cover what happened with Phoebe over the summer, and as such they're going to be written from her perspective. Nothing terribly exciting, I know, but needed information for the sake of the story that I didn't wanna cram in somewhere else. I will be going back to third person perspective when things get back on track for season 3, it's only these in between chapters that will be in her perspective, so don't be confused.
> 
> Enjoy!

Chapter 45: May

May was the month everything changed for me. It was the month that began the domino effect that would lead me to this point. I won't ruin the story with a brief cliff notes version, but I will summarize my summer for you with a few entries from my journal. I know, I know, Elena's the one that likes journaling, not me; but with everything that happened these past few months, I was forced to start one. Once you hear about what happened you'll understand why. But we'll get there in due time. For now, here's what you need to know about my summer.

**2** **nd**

I rolled over in my bed at the Salvatore house, and looked at the clock on my phone. 2:34 A.M. It had only been a few hours since Stefan left town with Klaus, and yet it felt like I had been lying there for days, going over all the mistakes I'd made in my head. How everything was my fault.

As I began to sink back into these thoughts, my phone vibrated in my hand. I looked at the screen. There was a new email…from Stefan. I shot up in bed and read the email. I'd been expecting him to tell me all the things I already knew – that I was to blame for all of this, that they should never have trusted me, etc – but instead I found his words to be uplifting and inspiring.

" _Phoebe,_

_A couple of months ago I wanted to die, because all of the pain and suffering that I had caused others was just too much for me to bear. It pained me to think about all the lives I had ruined or ended as a result of something I did. But you showed me how to get through that. You told me that we must learn from our mistakes, not let them define us. That we must own them, and move on, not let them cripple us._

_I know you feel like everything that's happening right now is your fault, but it isn't, Phoebe. You may be a genius, but even you can't be expected to think of everything all the time. So you didn't realize that Klaus would be observant enough to notice the burn scar on your hand and notice that you weren't Elena. You had no way of knowing that he would be that observant. If you want to blame someone for that, blame Elijah. The guy was his brother, and self-proclaimed expert on Klaus, he should have known Klaus would notice something like that. Most vampires – no matter how old – usually aren't that observant. They usually hide behind their cockiness and arrogance of their own superior abilities. So with your limited experience with vampires, you had no way of knowing that there might actually be a vampire out there cautious enough to notice little details like that._

_I know you also feel that you should have just listened to your father and woken up when he told you to, but, Phoebe…You are the most selfless person I know. To be given a world free of the burdens and responsibilities you have to face every day…Any one of us would have a hard time letting that go. And I doubt any one of us would have succeeded in waking up from it, even if we wanted to. From what Elena told me, you shouldn't have been able to wake from that thing, until Greta woke you. But you were already fighting your way through it, when she lifted the spell. Take pride in that, Phoebe. Take pride in knowing that your powers are stronger than anything we've faced so far. Take pride in knowing that whatever may come, you'll be able to protect the ones you love. Don't feel burdened by it, feel comforted by it._

_By know you probably feel responsible for me being forced to leave town with Klaus, too. But don't. I'll be fine, Phoebe. Elena will be fine. This will be her chance to move on, and lead a relatively normal life, without me. She's never said it, but I know she never wants to become a vampire and stay with me. As much as she loves me, she'd rather remain human. And I don't blame her. One way or another, this relationship had to end._

_I don't want you blaming yourself for Damon getting bitten by Hayley – all because you asked her to stay. And I don't want you blaming yourself for Klaus taking me away – because you asked Elijah not to kill him. Hayley is your friend, and you need a friend like her around. Someone who's a part of this mad world of ours, and will still be there for you whenever you need her. I know that's always been me, but now it's her job to be there for you. So don't regret asking her to stay. Don't regret telling Elijah to spare Klaus, either. If he hadn't, then we wouldn't have gotten a cure for Damon, and he'd be dead now._

_I don't know how long I'll be gone for – Klaus mentioned something about a decade-long bender. But if you're still willing to be my friend, when this partnership is over with, I could really use your help. Klaus is already making me prove my loyalty to him by killing a girl. I can't imagine what else he might ask me to do. He talked a lot about my ripper days. But if he makes me do these things…I'm going to need your help getting over them. I'm going to need you to help me, like you did before. To help me, like I'm helping you now. I kind of wish you could come with me now, and help along the way. But I don't want you witness to the things he'll make me do, so don't get any ideas about following us. And keep Elena away, too. Klaus can't find out that she's alive._

_I'm sorry I can't be there to tell you all of this in person. I'm sorry I couldn't at least say goodbye, before leaving. But whether you choose to continue blaming yourself for what's happened, or take my word for it that you aren't to blame, just don't let it cripple you. Accept what's happened, and move on, Phoebe. You only have one life, and a short one at that. Don't spend it brooding and feeling sorry for yourself, like I do. Live your life, Phoebe._

_-Stefan"_

I sat there reading Stefan's email again, and again, and again. Each time, letting the words sink in more and more. He was right. None of this was my fault. But I still felt somewhat responsible.

I wasn't sure why I was willing to listen to Stefan on this, when everyone else had been telling me the same things, but hearing it from Stefan seemed to make everything a bit better. I felt like a huge weight had been lifted off of my shoulders. As I laid there thinking about his words, I finally drifted off to sleep.

I woke up later that morning feeling much better. I went downstairs to the kitchen, and made some coffee. While it brewed, I sent a reply to Stefan. I told him that his words were very helpful, and thanked him for it. I told him I was always going to be there for him, so since I couldn't be there in person to help him through all the horrible things Klaus was likely to make him do, he could at least talk to me via email – kind of like with his journals. And if he didn't want anyone to know we were talking, I promised not to tell.

Damon came downstairs shortly after I got comfortable sitting outside with my coffee.

"Hey," he said in a gentle tone.

I looked up to see him looming over me. I smiled and gestured for him to sit next to me, "Morning."

Damon took a seat next to me and studied my body language.

"What?" I asked him, taking notice.

"Nothing. You just seem…better."

"I feel better," I admitted.

"May I ask what's brought about this change, since last night?" Damon asked.

I sipped my coffee, and debated telling him the truth. Stefan hadn't said whether or not he wanted anyone to know he'd emailed me. And even if he didn't mind others knowing, there was still the problem of Damon's jealousy. If I told him that Stefan was able to make me happy again, when neither he nor anyone else seemed to be able to, he'd probably get upset.

"I don't know," I lied. "I woke up this morning feeling refreshed, and able to think clearly. I realized you were all right about none of this being my fault, and that I shouldn't blame myself. So I stopped blaming myself."

Damon eyed me suspiciously.

"Yes, I still think I should've listened to my dad and woken up when he told me to, but if I had killed Klaus we wouldn't have had a cure for you. I'd have lost you."

Damon allowed himself to smile. I guess that was more believable than me just outright saying I was free of all guilt.

"So does that mean you're gonna go see your sister today?" he asked.

I took a deep inhale and nodded. I then exhaled sharply, "Right after I talk to you."

Damon looked around, confused, "Okay?"

"Elena just lost Stefan, possibly forever," I began. "Jenna was turned into a vampire against her will. And Anna is dead."

Damon's eyes fell and he forced a smile, "I think I see where this is going…Always something, isn't it?"

I put down my coffee, while he spoke, then grabbed his face, and planted a kiss on his lips. Damon was taken completely by surprise. When I broke the kiss, he didn't know what to say. He couldn't even form the words to ask why.

"You're right. There's always something," I agreed. "But I'm tired of letting things come between us. I'm tired of the most ridiculous reasons keep us apart. How about you?"

Damon's mouth spread into a smirk, "Yeah. I am."

"So let's stop letting things come between us," I said. "Let's finally take that chance, and be together. Damon and Phoebe."

Damon's answer was to kiss her again.

I smiled into the kiss, but pulled away quickly, "There's just one thing…We can't tell anyone. At least not right now."

"Okay?"

"Well, I don't wanna parade around town all happy, when everyone else is pretty much the opposite. Let everyone get over what happened and then we'll tell them."

Damon nodded in agreement, "Okay. But what about Andie? Won't they be suspicious when I suddenly compel her to get over me?"

"Yeeeaaaaah," I said guiltily. "I was kinda wondering if you could compel her to still think you two are dating and sleeping together. You can still invite her over to stay the night, and be seen with her or whatever, but-"

"So I get to have two girlfriends," Damon joked. "Nice."

"No, you have one secret girlfriend. The other is a cover. She'll think you two are still together, and so will everyone else," I corrected.

"Why, Phoebe, I'm shocked. Using another person like that. I didn't know you had it in you."

I gave a light laugh, "Yeah, I'm not proud of it. But hopefully we won't have to use her for long. Besides, once it's all over you'll be able to compel her to be over you."

Damon made a face that said that was true. He started to lean in and kiss me again, but stopped short, "Wait, what about your pet wolf? She stayin' in the dark, too?"

"Nope," said Hayley, appearing on the patio with us.

We both looked at her and smiled.

"Isn't that weird? Kissing him?" she asked. "I mean, after he hooked up with your mom and Katherine – who not only looked like you, but was your ancestor?"

"Yep. Now, you've made it weird," I said standing up.

Damon glared at Hayley, "Thanks a lot."

Hayley gave a sarcastic smile.

"I need to be going, anyway. I need to talk to Elena," I said. I looked at Hayley. "Ride with me?"

Damon watched us walk back into the house, and smiled to himself. He finally had the girl. Even if it was only in secret, he finally had me.

On our way home, I explained to Hayley why I was suddenly feeling so much better. I even admitted that I couldn't explain why hearing it all from Stefan was more helpful than hearing the same things from everyone else.

After that, I explained my arrangement with Damon. Hayley, of course, agreed to keep our secret, but reminded me that there was another person I should take the time to speak to. Someone I'd been neglecting for a while now. Matt.

I mentally kicked myself, "How could I forget Matt? I haven't even tried talking to him since…since before Isobel died."

"You've had a lot on your plate, Phoebe. Don't worry about it too much," Hayley comforted. "Just get through talking to Elena, first, and then worry about Matt."

And that's just what I did. I apologized to my sister for being so selfish in feeling sorry for myself, instead of being there for her. I explained why I couldn't face her after everything, because I'd blamed myself. But that I'd woken up this morning suddenly feeling refreshed and better. I was able to think more clearly and understand that not everything that had happened the last few days was my fault. Pretty much everything I'd said to Damon.

Elena, of course, forgave me, understanding that I was just going through a hard time. We spent some time together, and I checked in on Jeremy and Jenna, before moving onto the next person on my list to talk to. Matt.

Matt and I took a little walk to talk about things. I didn't wanting anyone to overhear what we were discussing.

"I'm sorry I didn't get around to you sooner," I apologized.

"Phoebe, your dad just died. And before that you were busy fighting a really old, really bad vampire," said Matt, with a light chuckle. "I'd say that takes priority over talking to me about how I feel about all this stuff."

"And how _**do**_ you feel about all of this?"

Matt stopped and faced me, "To be honest…I wish I didn't know about any of it. But I can't exactly go back to not knowing."

"Well, actually, you could," I began.

"Yeah, I know. That's not what I meant," said Matt. "I meant I can't go back to not knowing what happened to Vicki. I can't go back to being oblivious to what's going on in your life, forcing you to have to lie to me about everything. You're my best friend, Phoebe. I don't want you to have to lie to me about things."

I gave a smile.

"I can't see Caroline anymore. I can't date a vampire. I mean, I love her and all, but I just can't do it," he went on. "But I've been your best friend since we were in diapers. I can't turn my back on you now. I don't care what kind of crazy world you've become a part of."

I had to admit, I was incredibly happy to hear Matt say these things. After hearing how he initially reacted from Caroline, one of my biggest fears was that he would decide not to be my friend anymore because of all of this. I loved Matt. He was my best friend.

"Thanks, Mattie-cakes," I said. "These moments of normalcy talking to you are what keep me sane."

Matt gave me a funny look, "You call what you are _**sane**_?"

I hit him playfully, and we shared a laugh.

"In all seriousness, though, do you think you could at least be friends with her?" I asked him.

"Who? Caroline?"

I nodded.

"Since when do you care about Caroline Forbes?"

"Since she became a vampire," I admitted. "I was the one who found her in the hospital after she turned. I was the one that helped her through her transition. She's not the same person that she was before. She's my friend, now. And being dumped by you just because she's a vampire-"

"It's not just because she's a vampire," Matt argued.

"But that's the way she'll see it, Matt. Especially once she hears that you've agreed to still be my friend, despite my involvement in this supernatural world of ours."

"That's different, Pheebes. We've been friends our whole lives."

"I know that, and I understand it. But Caroline won't," I pressed.

Matt sighed, "I don't know, Phoebe. I need time. Just tell her I need some time, okay?"

I nodded.

**3** **rd** **– 16** **th**

The next morning, I woke up barely able to breath. I was encouraged to go to the doctor, but I had had pneumonia enough times to know that's what I had now. So with that in mind, I began taking care of herself in the usual manner for when I had pneumonia.

After a few days of letting me try it my way, Damon returned with another potion from Agnes and Zoie. It was the same potion Damon had given me a few months ago when I had pneumonia and it cleared up overnight. I drank it, then drifted off to sleep, like I had the time before.

A few days after that, though, I began feeling sick, yet again. It was weird for me to catch something else so soon, but still I ignored it. I ignored it for days, and it only grew worse and worse. I had this persistent cough that was driving me crazy, I could barely catch my breath after just walking to the bathroom and back, and even if I could catch my breath it came out as more of a wheeze. Hayley had enough and finally convinced me to go to the doctor.

The doctor ran several tests on me and my lungs, and though I had a sinking suspicion that he already knew what was wrong with me, we both kept our thoughts to ourselves. If he was calling for more tests without even hazarding a guess as to what was wrong with me, then it couldn't be good...

**17** **th**

Hayley went with me to hear the test results from my doctor. If they were as bad as I expected they would, then I didn't need or want anyone else there. If I could have gotten away with not even having Hayley there, I would have gladly left her at home; but I couldn't drive in my condition, so I needed someone to take me.

As bad as I thought it might be, it wasn't anything compared to what it actually was. And as prepared as I felt for the bad news...well, there's no way to actually be properly prepared for hearing these words:

"Phoebe, I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but...your lungs are failing. If you don't get a new set soon, I'm afraid you won't survive beyond the next few months."

And _**BAM**_! Just like that, my world was turned upside down, once again. My doctor offered to help get me placed on a transplant list for new lungs, and went on about how likely I was to receive said lungs; but I politely declined.

Hayley looked at me in shock, and started to argue. My doctor did the same.

Phoebe, I understand you're going through a hard time right now, losing your uncle – I understand you two were close – but don't give up on your own life because of it," he told me. "If you decline this offer, you'll only have six months to a year left."

I smiled at him, "I'm not giving up on it. I just have other options that most people don't. And because I have these options, I won't take a perfectly good lung away from someone who doesn't. Thank you, though."

My poor doctor had no idea what I was talking about, and I wished I could've comforted him with some kind of explanation, but I couldn't. Hayley, on the other hand, had at least some idea of what I meant. I didn't really spell it out for her until we were alone in the car.

"Okay, I get that unlike other people we know magic exists, but how can you be so sure that it'll heal you?" Hayley asked me. "Especially when the witches are the ones that cursed you in the first place."

"Because that's not the kind of magic I plan to use," I answered honestly. Hayley looked confused for a moment before it dawned on her. "If I get a new set of lungs, it's only a matter of time before they get infected all over again. And with the witches having it out for me, they'd probably orchestrate some kind of scenario where the lungs didn't even take. Or make sure the lungs don't even make it to me in time."

"You think the witches are behind this?"

"They have to be. I mean, think about it. I not only failed to kill Klaus, I convinced his brother to spare him. And then when I found out what he'd done to Elijah and Stefan, I didn't follow him out of town to finish the job, I let him go," I replied. "I was supposed to be the thing that killed Klaus, and I chose not to. Even after everything he's done to me."

"Are you sure about this, though?" she asked me in a gentler tone. "There's no going back after."

"No," I admitted. "But that's what I need you for. To help me think of everything that with change because of it. What will be worth it? What won't?"

Hayley smirked, "You mean, you want me to help you make a list of pros and cons."

"Something like that," I admitted. I got a little nervous as I thought of what one of the cons would be. "In that letter my dad left for me he said he'd love me no matter what. Even if I chose to do this one day...What about you? Would you hate me?"

Hayley gave me a look and shook her head, "Of course I wouldn't hate you. You're my family, Phoebe. You becoming a vampire would never change that. You're my sister and my best friend. Always and forever."

That made things a bit easier for me. There was just everyone else in my life to consider.

**20** **th** **\- 28** **th**

A few days later, I was feeling a bit better. My doctor had prescribed me some medications to help ease my symptoms – giving everyone the illusion that I was getting better. I had also begun knocking back energy drinks and other caffeine supplements to give me some kind of energy – one of the side effects of my condition was becoming exercise intolerant, so I was tired nearly all of the time. Another side effect appeared to be that any use of my powers caused me to become weaker. Hayley and I found that out when we tried testing them to make sure I still had them.

With the full moon coming up, Hayley and I drove out to Elijah's house to rig something up for her. After what happened to Damon, none of us were very fond of the idea of her staying in the basement again. Besides, if she managed to escape her cage or whatever out here, there was nothing and no one for miles around that she could hurt.

Damon wanted to come with us, but I convinced him not to. I wanted to have that pros and cons talk with Hayley away from supernatural eavesdropping. It took us about a week to securely rig something up, because we kept getting distracted by our Pros and Cons conversation. Well, that, and we took the time to put away anything breakable, just in case Hayley got loose in the house.

The pros and cons of becoming a vampire weren't the only things we discussed. Though, I guess you could say the two were related. We discussed what my daylight ring/bracelet/necklace should be. We even brought the left over lapis lazuli jewelry out there with us one day to look through. Then Hayley had the most amazing idea.

"What about a cartilage earing? I've never seen a vampire with one of those."

I thought about that for a moment, "I'd have to get the piercing before I turn. It'd probably just heal if I did it after. But a cartilage piercing would be unique and anyone suspicious of me being a vampire wouldn't think to look there for a daylight ring."

"Well, you could always get another daylight thing to wear to throw them off," she suggested.

I looked down at the bracelet that Elijah had given me, "Oh! I can make the earing look like the Evil Eye. And if I start wearing it now – I mean, before I turn – then no one will think to question it as being a daylight ring. This is perfect!"

"Camouflaged daylight earing introduced early on, and a decoy ring/bracelet/necklace."

This was actually quite brilliant, since I likely wouldn't have my powers anymore after I turned, leaving me just as vulnerable as any other vampire. That was definitely going to be a con. I also admitted to Hayley that I couldn't have children, but that wouldn't go under the cons category, because I wouldn't exactly be giving them up.

"You still adopt, though," she suggested.

"I can still adopt as a vampire, if I want," I countered. Though, admittingly, I'd have to have more than one awkward conversation with the kid as they grew up – one of them being that vampires are real and that mommy was one – but it was still a possibility.

I was already dying, so giving up a normal human life – something I'd never really had – was no problem. Though I would be outliving any remaining mortal friends and family that I had left, which would be difficult, but I'd rather that than the way it was supposed to be – me having to leave them so soon. Honestly, though, my biggest and only real problem was whether or not everyone or anyone would decide to turn their backs on me for my decision. I'd seen it happen before with Caroline and her mom, Matt, and Bonnie. But then again, most of them came around in the end. Matt was the only real hold out on that one. Surely he'd come around for me, right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so a few other notes I wanna bring up that I didn't wanna bombard you with at the beginning of the chapter, it was brought to my attention that I screwed up something in my own story. Originally I said that Phoebe and Elena were paternal twins, but then I went on to make them out to be identical. So I went back to the only time I ever mentioned what kind of twins they were and changed it to them being identical twins. Sorry for the change and my own inconsistency, but despite all the research I did in preparing to start this story, I completely forgot it.
> 
> This brings me to my next point: I AM IN DESPERATE NEED OF A BETA READER! I've put out a wanted ad, I've sent messages to people asking them to be my beta reader, and nada. No one will get back to me one way or the other, so if you're interested please send me a PM not a review. I really need someone familiar with my story so they can tell me when I'm being inconsistent *looks to previous paragraph*, do the usual spelling and grammar check, tell me if something is too convenient (like Phoebe figured something out too easily or something), someone who will give me suggestions of what I can do with the story, someone I can bounce my own ideas off of, etc. Again, if you're interested, please send me a PM and let me know. I desperately need one, if I intend to go the full 8 seasons plus 5 seasons of The Originals.


	46. June

Chapter 46: June

**1st**

It's been a month now, since Klaus took Stefan away. And as a reminder of that, Elena chose to wait until the school year was officially over to tell us all that she'd been working with Caroline's mom to help her track down Klaus and Stefan – by tracking Klaus' victims. I think that's when Damon and I decided to "help" her track down these leads on Stefan, because if we were involved we could keep her away from him by telling her they were false leads.

It's not that I didn't want my sister to get that chance to say goodbye to the man she loved, I was just trying to do what Stefan had asked me to do and keep her away. Damon, on the other hand, knew his brother's killing habits and knew that these victims were his brother's and not Klaus'. Something he confided to me, but we both agreed not to tell Elena. Let her keep her good memories of Stefan.

**3rd**

I've been taking caffeine supplements for a couple of weeks now, and they've begun to take their tole on my body. A whole new set of side effects to go with my already established symptoms of my worsening condition. Insomnia being the biggest one. So what do I do to counteract that? I begin taking sleep aids to make sure I get some kind of sleep at night.

I know, for a genius I'm pretty dumb, but I'm dying anyways. What's the harm in mixing things that shouldn't really be mixed? Death. Again, I know it's a risk. But I never take them within four hours of each other. I always wait at least four hours after my last energy drink or whatever, before taking a sleep aid. Still stupid, I know, but...I have to do it. I can't let anyone know that I'm this sick. Not yet. They'd all just tell me to get on that stupid list for new lungs, and have zero respect for my decision to become a vampire. Even Damon would rather have me remain human.

I know what you're thinking: "But, Phoebe, if none of the vampires you know will agree to turn you, how are you going to become a vampire?" Well, I'll tell you how: I have no clue. The best I can come up with is knock out one of the vampires I know, steal their blood, and then turn myself into a vampire. But that would leave whomever's blood I stole angry with me, so I'd prefer to find another way.

**6th**

Today is Hayley's birthday! Yay! For her present, we've decided to just have a day with the two of us. I know, not much different from every other day, but today we're going to get our cartilage piercings. I actually custom-ordered an earing made from Lapis Lazuli that was painted to look like the Evil Eye. It arrived a few days ago, so I have that for them to ram through the cartilage of my ear. But first things first. We needed to bring it to Agnes and Zoie – my two favorite witches – and have them spell it for me.

The trip to Agnes and Zoie's was anything but dull. We did your typical road trip stuff – music, singing, talking, etc. Definitely more fun than my last road trip, but don't tell Damon I said that. The thing that really made it interesting – and keep in mind interesting isn't always a good thing – was what she randomly decided to ask me about when I was assuring her for the hundredth time that I was _**not**_ doing this for Damon.

"So are you doing this for Stefan?" she asked.

I was completely surprised to hear her ask that, "What?!"

"Well, you said that kiss was amazing beyond words," she began.

"I did not tell you that so you could torture me with it."

"Yeah, but you knew I was going to," she said. She sat there waiting for me to answer her, and once she realized that I wasn't, she pressed. "So? Are you doing this to be with Stefan?"

"No!" I replied, giving her a look. "I'm becoming a vampire so I can have a chance at life. Not to be with someone for the rest of eternity. Even with all their emotions, vampires are no more monogamous than we are. No one can stay together for the rest of eternity. A few decades, _**maybe**_ centuries; but then you've gotta take some kind of break from one another."

Hayley rolled her eyes, but smiled, "You and Damon only just got together and you're already planning to break up with the guy."

"I don't think I'm gonna be the one doing the breaking up," I said seriously. "Everyone changes when they become a vampire. Damon will probably decide that he doesn't like the new me, and then leave."

"Good."

I gave her a funny look that demanded explanation.

"I always thought you and Elijah made a better couple," she answered.

I opened my mouth to argue, but no words came to mind. Correction. Plenty of words came to mind, just none of them working in my favor. Anything I had to say, she'd have a good argument for, and this was not something I wanted to discuss. I wanted to enjoy what little time Damon and I had left. Not spend it wondering if some other guy was a better match. Not that I'm so easily swayed, it's just I'm a very logical person, so if you lay out all the logical reasons of how Elijah was a better match for me than Damon, then I'd likely listen and start to wonder. My mind is literally my own worst enemy. Here's to hoping we never discover one of those alternate universes, like on Star Trek, and I have to face my evil doppelganger.

Anyway, I turned on the radio to let her know we were not having this discussion. She accepted that, but gave me a smirk that said she knew that I knew that she would have won that argument. I hated that smug smirk. Is that what I look like when I outsmart people?

At some point, she also asked me if I was going to tell Elena about the kiss with Stefan. I told her no, because it didn't mean anything. We were trying to convince Klaus that I was her. That's all it was. Telling her, or Damon, or anyone else would just complicate things and make everything awkward and tense. She understood this and agreed, but still enjoyed tormenting me with it. To be honest, I'd expect nothing less from her.

Agnes and Zoie were intrigued by Hayley, and she them ("Why didn't you introduce me sooner?").

"So what can we do for you today, Phoebe?" Agnes asked, after introductions were made.

"Another first place gown? Another cloned mystical talisman?" Zoie added.

I looked at Hayley and took a breath, "Something a bit more simple, but still secret."

"Isn't it always?" Zoie teased.

All I had to do was pass them the earing and they knew what it was. They knew the stone was Lapis Lazuli. And since they already knew I was associated with vampires...They shared a look, but didn't seem very surprised.

"You guys don't seem all that surprised," Hayley noted.

"We knew this day was coming," said Agnes. "The first day we met you, we saw it."

"You saw this? Me and Hayley coming to you and asking you to make me a daylight earing?" I asked. They both nodded.

"We didn't know why, at the time," said Agnes.

"We assumed that you would be doing this for Damon," said Zoie.

"I'm not," I said, sounding more irritable than I'd meant to.

"But we heard through a few friends that still practice ancestral magic about what you are and what they're doing to you," said Agnes.

"That's why when you came in last time to ask us to clone that moonstone, we knew what it was. We didn't find out until after you left, that the necklace we gave you would be completely useless to you. It only works on humans," Zoie added. She gave me an apologetic look after that last, as though I might be offended at being referred to as not human.

"So it is the witches that are trying to kill her," Hayley scoffed. Agnes and Zoie nodded apologetically.

"It doesn't matter who it is, we've already found a solution. I'm gonna become a vampire," I stated. "Can you two enchant that or whatever for me, or will you get in trouble with the ancestors?"

"Pft! We stopped practicing ancestral magic ages ago. They're too judgey and controlling," Zoie dismissed.

"So you'll do it?" Hayley asked.

"Of course! It'll only take a moment," said Agnes.

"While we do that, though, you two might as well get that argument out of the way," said Zoie. Agnes gave her a look.

"What argument?" Hayley and I asked together.

"About the tattoo."

"Zoie!"

"What tattoo?" Hayley and I asked together, again. Only this time she seemed more excited, while I was more nervous.

I had to ask a few more times, before they finally explained, but apparently the tattoo parlor just up the road from them was having a sale on sister tattoos. Agnes and Zoie had seen Hayley and I in there getting our cartilage piercings, and arguing about getting a tattoo. Hayley wanted us to get one, but I wasn't sure about it.

Zoie "let it slip" so that we could argue about it before going and then she could give us this potion to be mixed with the ink at the parlor – they apparently sent people in with this on occasion. The ink acted like a kind of binding agent, binding the two getting said tattoo together, so that they were always connected. Neither one wanted to be anymore specific – claiming the results varied for each user – but said it was a harmless bit of magic.

When they left us alone to discuss the tattoo issue, I argued against it – as I'm sure came as no surprise to anyone. It wasn't that I had a problem with tattoos, I quite liked them on some people. I wasn't afraid of it hurting, or what anyone else would think of me getting a tattoo. It was just the impulsiveness of it all. To feel like I had to pick something now and then be stuck with it for literally all of eternity.

But Hayley managed to convince me to at least look at the tattoos, and keep an open mind. If we found something, great! If we didn't, then no worries. But she told me to also keep in mind that this might be my only chance to get one, because once I become a vampire my skin might heal over the tattoo, thus erasing it. I don't how true that was, or if that was even a thing, but I couldn't exactly ask any of the vampires that I knew. For one, I was ready to reveal my plan, and for another, none of them had tattoos. At least, none that I could see.

I thought it over, as I looked through the different sister tattoos they had, and while they pierced Hayley's ear. I had never really thought too much about getting a tattoo, before, but it was definitely something I had thought about. And it was something I was sure I wanted to have to give up on once I turned, so...I got one.

We went with a simple infinity symbol on the outer side of the wrist. In the curve of one of the loops it said 'sisters'. Personally, I think 'thing one' and 'thing 2' would have been more appropriate, but it was Hayley's birthday, so she got final say.

When we were finished, we went back to Agnes and Zoie to show them. They weren't surprised that I'd caved and gotten a tattoo. Is this what it feels like to deal with me everyday? Anyway, they gave me some herbs to brew into a tea for me to drink. They were supposed to help ease some of my symptoms and help hide them from everyone. They explained which herbs helped with what, so I could get more when I needed them. Have I mentioned I really liked these witches?

**18th**

Today is Damon's birthday! Not all that exciting, really. I mean, the man is turning 171, so I guess I can understand how it might not be that big a deal for him. But I'm currently still human, and have only lived about 18 years, so for me all birthdays should be celebrated. Even if it's just being told 'Happy Birthday!' by those closest to you – which of course I did.

We had slept together – and I mean sleep, not sex – the night before. So he not only got to wake up to this gorgeous face, but also a present – again, not sex. I drew him a picture of us dancing together on the roof the night of the 50s Decade Dance. It was all I could really think to get him, really. I mean, what do you get the man that's over 150 years old, and can compel himself whatever the hell he wants? But he seemed happy with the picture, and told me that I was the only present he needed.

**20th**

Today is Father's Day. It's been almost two months since dad died, and it still cripples me to think about. I've accepted and moved on, like Stefan told me to, but I still miss him. Elena, believe it or not, went with me to visit his grave. We brought him and Uncle Grayson some flowers, and visited for a while. We did the same thing last month for Aunt Miranda and Isobel.

I told him about how everyone was surprised at me getting a tattoo and piercing my ear, among other things – such as Jenna's progress. I waited for Elena to leave before telling him about my plans to become a vampire, and my new relationship with Damon. I know it seems silly to talk to a headstone to some people, but it helped me. Saying things out loud and pretending the person you're talking to is there helps me a lot more than writing it all in a journal, like Elena. Then why start this journal, you ask? You'll learn soon enough. But I didn't start this thing where it begins. I started it months after Klaus left town – that's why it's lacking details in places, and reads like a cliff-notes version of a journal. I'm trying to remember things – important things. Things I can't risk forgetting...

**22nd**

This is certainly a month for birthdays, isn't? Today is mine and Elena's birthday – we're turning 18. Oddly enough, Elena and I seemed to swap personalities today. She was in no mood to celebrate, yet I was actually looking forward to the party Caroline was planning for us. I know, weird, right? But it was actually a pretty good day for me.

I woke up that morning to Damon telling me happy birthday. He whispered it in my hear, actually. You see, like the night before his birthday, we slept in the same bed before mine. Held held me and kissed me and all those wonderful things. It was nothing we hadn't done before – still not sex – but this particular morning he seemed to be steering us to that general location. He was pulling me closer, there was more of him pressed against me, his kisses were beginning to wander to places other than my lips...Well, you get the picture.

I didn't really mind any of it. In fact my body ached for him, and begged me to let him go on. But fear flashed into my mind and I had to call it quits, before things went too far. Thanks a lot, brain. I told you it was my worst enemy.

"Sorry," I told him, wiggling free. "I promised Hayley we'd spend some time together before the party tonight."

Damon pouted, "You can't just be a little late?"

"Nope. Sorry."

I got out of there as quick as I could, without running, and headed to my own room to get ready for the day.

Like I had told Damon, Hayley and I really did spend some time together, before the party. Like we'd done for her birthday, we agreed that her birthday present to me would just be some one-on-one time with each other. We shopped for something to wear tonight, had lunch, and I got a haircut. I had originally gone in to get a little trim – cut off the dead ends – but as I looked at myself in the mirror I realized something. I was tired of being mistaken for Elena – and sometimes Katherine. I was Phoebe Gilbert, and unless I was wearing my glasses, no one knew that.

I was already in the process of making changes in my life, most of which could not be reversed, so what was a haircut? It could grow back, thus undoing any damage. So what was the harm? There was none. So I went with the impulse and had it cut down to shoulder-length.

Oh, I almost forgot! Bonnie made Jenna a daylight ring before she left for summer vacation, a few weeks back, and removed the boundary spell on the house. Jenna had only recently started recently wearing the ring, though. Baby steps and all that. But she was doing really well. I just wish I could've helped her more, like I used to help Stefan.

Anyways, it seemed like the whole town was at the Boarding House that night. Though only a handful or so were actually there to wish the Gilbert twins a happy birthday. There were a few faces missed, though. Jenna wasn't ready to be around such a large group of people, so she stayed at home with Rick. Bonnie was still away on vacation – as I might have mentioned already – and Stefan, of course.

But I did make sure to drop by home to see Aunt Jenna, earlier today. I spent a little time with her and Rick, and apparently to pick up a package. I felt like Harry Potter ("But I never get any mail."). Who would possibly be sending me mail, let alone a package?

It wasn't a large package, in fact it was quite small. You know, one of those small little FedEx bag/envelopes with bubblewrap lining? There was a small box inside with a necklace in it. It was shaped like an upright figure eight with pig ears, pig snout, and corkscrew tail. It was absolutely adorable. But who sent it?

My phone vibrated in my pocket. It was Stefan. Apparently he sent me the necklace – knowing how much I loved pigs. He said he saw it in a shop and thought of me instantly. It was both a birthday present and a 'thank you' for helping him through all of this so far. He also added that he wanted to get something for Elena – even just a card – but thought it best not to. He didn't want to give her false hope.

Oddly enough, Damon gave me a necklace for my birthday, too. His was an evil eye – knowing I'd recently grown very fond of them – made of Swarovski crystals. I was going to wear Isobel's necklace for the party – it matched my blue dress – but Damon remarked that it was too morbid, and that the shiny new necklace he'd gotten me would look much better. I humored him and let him put the new necklace on me, only because the more evil eyes I suddenly adorned the less suspicious it became that I was now wearing an evil eye earing.

Anyway, Damon stole one more kiss – since he wouldn't be able to show his affection around the others – then offered his arm to escort me downstairs. But that's not what happened. There was a knock on my bedroom door. It was Matt. He wanted to give me his birthday present, before I got distracted by the party. Damon left us alone, closing the door behind him.

"You didn't have to get me anything, Matty," I told him.

"You got me something for my birthday," he reminded.

"Yes, but that was more for protection than anything else. It's a vervain bracelet meant to keep you from being compelled...Though that didn't seem to stop Katherine from compelling you to get Tyler mad enough to kill you, so I guess that gift didn't really work out so well."

Matt gave a light laugh, and handed me a small box, wrapped in comics – as per our usual tradition, "Well, I'm not entirely sure how useful my gift will be for ya, but I saw it and thought of you, so..."

I tore the comics off the box – normally I read them first, but Matt always ended up getting more anxious than me and tore them off for me, so I just assume skip that step this time – and opened the box. Inside was a little, glass pig. You know, one of those hand blown ones with the colored sand or whatever inside.

"It's a paper weight," said Matt.

"It's adorable," I said, picking it up. It was definitely a paper weight. Had that paper weighing weight to it. I kissed him on the cheek, like I've done many times, and thanked him.

Matt got all awkward and fidgety.

"What's wrong? You look nervous."

Matt hesitated to answer, "I know things have gotten a bit crazy, lately. Vampires and all that. Even before that, your parents, I mean, your aunt and uncle..."

"You can call them my parents," I told him. "They did raise me as their daughter."

Matt let out a frustrated sigh – though the frustration wasn't directed at me.

"Matt, what's going on with you?"

"You know I like you," he began.

"Yeah, I like you, too. That's why we're friends."

"No, not like that. I mean...as more than friends."

I was surprised. All I could manage was an, "Oh."

"Yeah. I have for a while now, I just wanted to give it some time, after Elena broke up with me, so you wouldn't feel like a rebound or like I was using you to pretend you were Elena, or somethin'. And then you started getting close to Damon, and encouraged me to go out with Caroline...Which I'm glad you did, because I love Caroline – she's great. I just can't be with her anymore."

"Matt..."

"I know what you're thinking, and you're not rebound," Matt pressed. "I would've waited a bit longer to make sure you knew that, but last time I tried that it didn't exactly work out the way I wanted."

"And it's not gonna work out again, this time," I told him bluntly. Though I said it gently.

He eyed me for a moment, then averted his gaze, "Damon."

"This has nothing to do with Damon, Matt. You broke up with Caroline because you didn't want to be in this supernatural world we live in. But I'm a part of that world, too, Matt. I'm an anomaly with powers," I told him. _And soon to be a vampire_ , I thought. "I'm just as much a part of all this chaos as she is, and...I like it here. Here, I'm more than just shy, quiet, awkward Elena look-a-like."

"I never saw you that way," Matt objected.

"I know, and I love you for it, Matty. But you can't break up with Caroline for the reasons you did and then decide to ignore those same reasons for me. As friends, fine. I'm always there for you, you know that. But anything more than that...it just won't work. I'm sorry, Matt."

Matt looked like he hated to admit it, but he did agree that I was right. There was a time when I'd have given anything to hear Matt say these things to me, but that time had come and gone. I guess not everyone gets a chance to at least try. Course, I suppose you could say that's all Damon and I were doing. We were on borrowed time, after all. But that's a later story.

Moving on. Matt assured me that he was okay with my decision, and that he was only a little embarrassed – though I think he was just trying not to ruin my birthday. He forced a smile and then escorted me down to the party. I socialized – shocker, I know – I danced, I had a couple drinks, I exchanged a few glances with Damon from across the room.

A few hours later, I ended up back in my room, with Damon. We'd both gotten tired of making eyes at each other from across the room and had decided to steal a moment to do a bit more than make eyes at each other.

As soon as the door closed to my room, we were all over each other. My hands were in his grown out hair, and his hands were picking me up to carry my to the bed. Now, before you judge him as only having one thing on his mind, just know that he bad no presumptuous moves. He didn't just toss me on the bed and then remove his shirt, or anything like that.

He laid me down gently, and remained on top of me. I kept kissing him and running my fingers through his hair. Damon's hands, though, found new things to do. One helped support him up so he was totally laying on me, and the other was beginning to find its way up my thigh and under my dress.

I'd be lying if I said I didn't want him there and then. I'd be lying if I said my body was screaming out for him to tear my clothes from my body and...well, you get the picture. But my worst enemy had to regain control at that moment and I stopped his hand from going further.

"Wait," I panted. "We can't."

Damon gave me a funny look, "Yes, we can."

I maneuvered out from under him, and walked over to my vanity to fix my appearance. I didn't wanna go back downstairs looking like I'd just done what I just did.

Damon eyed me funny, "Okay, what's going on? I thought it was just my bed you objected to, but you don't even wanna do it in your bed...Is it your back?"

"What?" I questioned, turning to face him.

"The scars on your back," he clarified. "Are you...do you not want me to touch them?"

That was honestly a better reason than the truth, so I let him believe that was it. I stood back up and headed for the door, "I should get back to the party."

I hated doing that to him, but I was afraid the truth would scare him away. But don't worry, it gets resolved later that night, after the party. Actually, after I get back from spending time with Elena. You see, we have this tradition for our birthday. Every year we get two cupcakes – one for each of us – and then we go to park and sit on the swings, while we eat them.

Our parents started that tradition for us when we were about four or five. I can't really remember which. We were fighting something awful and refused to speak to each other for days. So our parents took us to the park for our birthday, made us sit together, and gave us each a cupcake. Elena ate hers in silence, and I held onto mine while I swung. I dropped mine on the ground and started to cry. Elena, who was only halfway through hers, offered me the other half. That was the end of our feud. It's weird how easily kids can forgive and move on.

Elena and I left the party and went to the park with our cupcakes, only I was the one diving in and she was not. I thought it was because she missed Stefan, but it was because she was jealous of Hayley. She'd been fine so long as we were calling each other friend, but now that we were calling one another sister, it bothered her.

"Elena, you are my twin. You are a literally my other half, and I'd be lost without you. You will always be my sister, and I will always love you. But Hayley has no one. I'm the only family she has. And I know I've only known her for a short time, but I already consider her to be like an older sister. I'm sorry I didn't consider your feelings before getting the tattoo, but that doesn't mean I like her better or anything like that. I have room enough in my heart for the both of you," I told her. Or something very similar. I don't remember the exact wording, but then again what does it matter? You know how bad I am with words.

Later, when I got back to the Boarding House, I went to see Damon. He was cleaning up the living room a little bit, before bed. I took a very deep breath and forced myself to say it:

"I'm a virgin."

Damon nearly dropped the empty beer bottles in his hands, and gave me a somewhat surprised look.

"I didn't wanna tell you, because I was afraid you'd back out of this and go find someone you didn't have to wait to sleep with," I rambled on. "I mean, I want to. I _**really**_ want to, I just...when we're in that moment, I just get so scared, and I can't-"

I was cut off by Damon flitting up to me, "If you think I'd leave you over something that insignificant, than you don't know me as well as you like to pretend you do."

My eyes fell in shame. He was right. We'd been through so much, something like this was nothing.

"I would _**never**_ leave you because of that, Phoebe. I just wish you'd have told me sooner, so I didn't make a complete ass of myself trying to-"

"I know, I know. You're right, I should've known better. I'm sorry," I told him. I flailed my arms nervously, "I don't even know why I'm so scared, I mean, it's not like I can get pregnant."

Damon grabbed my face and made me look him in the eye, "I will wait as long as it takes for you to feel comfortable."

I started to smile at him. One of those _Awe! Aren't I just the luckiest girl?_ smiles. But then he added, jokingly, "Within reason."

I hit him playfully, "Jerkface."

Damon let go of my face, wrapped his arms around my waist, and kissed me. It was one of those long, loving kisses (it still wasn't anything like that kiss with Stefan, but we won't go there).

"Come on," he said, gesturing to the stairs. "We can clean up tomorrow."


	47. The Party

Chapter 47: The Party

The next month and a half seemed to go by rather slowly for Phoebe, and no matter what she did it seemed like she was being pulled in five different directions at once. She had to help Damon track down Stefan, while keeping it from her sister – even though some of their leads were from Elena. She also had to inform Stefan of how close they were getting to he and Klaus' trail and be his moral support system, all while hiding it from everyone who wasn't Hayley.

Aside from all that she still had to maintain appearances, despite her deteriorating condition. She had to spend time with friends, family, and Damon; which meant she had to work extra hard to hide her condition from them. Something she hadn't even told Stefan about, but he thankfully wasn't around to notice the changes in her behavior, which he surely would have.

Phoebe's only relief from it all were the days she got to sneak away to visit either John or Isobel's graves, or when she and Hayley took a couple days to stay at Elijah's house. Of course, then Hayley would take the chance to lecture her on how hard she was pushing herself, and remind her that she needed to carry out her plan – tell everyone the truth about how sick she was and that she planned to become a vampire, give them time to adjust to the news, and then have one of their many vampire friends sire her.

But Phoebe was nervous about how everyone would react – Matt in particular. She was afraid he wouldn't want to be her friend anymore, and that everyone else would just try talking her into trying things the human way – lung transplant. They hadn't had years of adjusting and accepting of the fact that she'd never live past her late 30s, like she had.

Hayley eventually wore her down and convinced her to talk to everyone around late August. Phoebe agreed to sit them all down for a big group discussion, as soon as she figured out what exactly she wanted to say; which, to be fair, she was working hard on.

Phoebe was thankful for the distraction Caroline provided her with a day or so later – a back to school party. There were very few parties Phoebe could remember actually enjoying, but this kind of distraction and entertainment was exactly what she needed right now.

The morning of Caroline's party, Phoebe woke up in her usual manner: before anyone else in the house. She'd stayed at her own home the night before so Damon could have Andie stay the night at the Boarding House. All part of making people believe he was still sleeping with her and not dating Phoebe. Something Phoebe had oddly gotten used very quickly.

She threw back the covers, and rolled out of bed. Grabbing her glasses and phone off the nightstand, she headed downstairs to make coffee. While it brewed she read Stefan's latest email. Klaus made him kill two more women last night in Tennessee.

Phoebe felt like she was running out of things to say to him. It seemed like all she ever said was 'I'm sorry' or 'I wish I could be there to help you' or something along those lines. She felt utterly useless sending him emails all the time, especially considering she was terrible with words. But sometimes just having someone listen was help enough, and if that was the case then she'd listen all he needed.

After sending Stefan a reply, Phoebe returned upstairs to take all of her various medicines/herbs to hide her condition, and to wake her siblings. She woke Jeremy up first, because he needed to head to work – he'd gotten a job at the Mystic Grill over the summer. Phoebe suspected it had less to do with actually needing a job and more to do with needing a distraction from missing Anna so much.

She woke up Elena next. Like her twin, she pretended to be perfectly fine around everyone else – still maintaining hope that Stefan would soon be found and they'd bring him home. But deep down her hope was dwindling, and she was steadily growing annoyed with everyone that tried telling her to just continue living her life and not worry so much about it.

Jenna didn't need waking, because her vampire hearing heard Phoebe waking the others and was already out of bed by the time Phoebe was leaving Elena's room. That just left Hayley. Hayley had recently moved into John's old room. Phoebe refused to keep it a shrine to John, and they'd all agreed that Hayley was now part of the family and so deserved her own room. She felt odd about moving into their dead father's old room, at first – Phoebe even offered to take it and give Hayley her room – but she eventually came around to it.

Later that morning, after everyone was up and moving, Phoebe and Hayley left to go shopping with Caroline. It wasn't exactly something either of them really wanted to do, but Phoebe welcomed the distraction from her worries about how everyone would react to her news. And with Caroline around, that meant Hayley couldn't ask her every five minutes if she'd decided on what to say to them all yet.

While Hayley was trying on a few things, Caroline gave Phoebe a piece of paper from the Sheriff, "My mom said she found another report of an animal attack in Tennessee."

Phoebe maintained a pokerface to hide that she already knew that it was Stefan and Klaus – something she'd gotten quite good at this summer. "I'll give it to Damon later," she replied, pocketing the paper.

"Damon? No, that's for Elena."

"And Elena's just going to bring it to Damon," Phoebe explained. "Klaus thinks Elena is dead, and we have to keep it that way. So she brings her leads to Damon and he checks them out for her, so she doesn't have to potentially get caught by Klaus."

Caroline made a look of understanding and gave her a nod.

The girls went back to shopping, and a little while later they headed to the Mystic Grill to meet up with Tyler for some lunch. Hayley and Phoebe left Caroline and Tyler to eat together, while they got their own table. It was partly because they wanted to avoid the awkwardness between those two – their attraction to one another that they refused to admit – and also so Phoebe could take her various medications without being questioned about them.

Phoebe pulled out the animal attack report, took a picture, and sent it to both Damon and Stefan.

"You hungry?"

Phoebe shook her head, "Not really."

"You should still eat something. You didn't eat breakfast," said Hayley.

"I know," she sighed. "You just order something for you, though. I might pick off of your plate."

Hayley watched her look through her large purse – something new she'd begun carrying with her to keep whatever she might need nearby – trying to decide what she needed right now. She took out a few prescription pills from her doctor and swallowed them with the help of a tea she'd made from the herbs from Agnes and Zoie – she carried a bottle of it in her bag. After that she downed a five-hour energy.

Hayley hated seeing her take so much; there was no telling what kind of internal damage all that was causing. But Phoebe needed it all right now, and she had plans to become a vampire soon, so the destruction of her internal organs wasn't really a problem they had to worry about. Right?

Meanwhile, Jeremy video chatted with Bonnie in the back as he worked. The two had grown close over the summer – Bonnie's feelings for him growing with it. But Jeremy was still holding onto Anna and seeing her ghost constantly wasn't helping. Something he still hadn't mentioned to anyone.

The lights at the Grill flickered, signifying that the ghosts following Jeremy around were coming out to visit. Bonnie tried asking what was going on with the lights, but Jeremy excused it as being nothing, and ended their call. Shortly after, Matt burst in asking Jeremy to swap areas with him, because Tyler and Caroline just sat down in his.

Elsewhere, Klaus and Stefan finally catch up to the werewolf they've been tracking. They ask Ray where his pack goes to turn on full moons, but he refuses to tell them. Given his response to their asking nicely, Stefan resorts to torturing it out of him – dipping darts in wolfsbane and throwing them at him.

A while later Klaus receives word that Damon and Rick are catching up to them. They were seen investigating the home of Stefan's latest victims, before burning the evidence to the ground. Stefan overhears this and quickly volunteers to handle it personally – he doesn't want to risk Klaus sending someone else and discovering that Elena is still alive. Thankfully for him, Klaus decides to trust him with solving their problem and sends Stefan to handle it.

Elena didn't really want to attend the party that night, but Phoebe – of all people – convinced her to go. Needless to say, they were both pretty surprised when she succeeded ("I'm usually the one convincing you to get out and socialize.").

Caroline took over as her distracter of problems, once they arrived at the party. Phoebe and Hayley – per their usual – stuck together for the most part. They danced, they laughed, Hayley had a couple of drinks.

The library of the Boarding House became the stoner den of the party, eventually attracting both Matt and Jeremy. The two shared a small joint and exchanged reasons for their "downward spirals". Matt not only lost Caroline, but she has now become interested in Tyler – his best male friend. Not to mention his recent rejection from Phoebe.

Jeremy just wanted to forget for a short time that he'd been seeing the ghosts of his dead girlfriend and Vicki all summer – though all he told Matt was that he'd been seeing weird things since Bonnie brought him back from the dead.

A little while later, Stefan corners Andie at the News Station. He toys with her, like a predator does with its prey; compels her, and then texts his brother from her phone, pretending to be her. He tells Damon she's having car trouble and needs a ride.

Back at the party, Damon sends a reply text that he's on his way – to keep up appearances, and because he's not that uncaring – then informs his real girlfriend where he's headed.

"You mean your compelled, fake girlfriend wants you to be a chivalrous boyfriend?" Phoebe teased, feigning surprise. "How dare she."

Damon gave her a look, "Just remember whose idea this was in the first place."

She gave a smirk and light rolling of the eyes, as he kissed her cheek – something he could get away with given that everyone already knew how he felt about her.

While they did that, Hayley took notice of Caroline watching Tyler dancing with his date. It was pretty obvious that she wasn't happy about it. Hayley walked up to her and remarked as such. "Well, that's not obvious."

"What isn't?" Caroline asked, playing dumb.

"That you're jealous," said Hayley. Caroline gave her a look. "Oh, come on, you know you like him. We can all see it, Caroline. Why do you think Matt's been so distant with you, lately?"

All Caroline could do was scoff and shake her head. She didn't want to talk about this, let alone with her.

"Look, just do yourself a favor and stop pining from afar and do something about it. _**Before**_ it's too late."

Hayley walked away, as Tyler and his date approached Caroline. In her jealousy, Caroline compelled Tyler's date to leave the party, then walked away herself. That hadn't exactly been what Hayley had in mind, but it was a start, of sorts.

Elsewhere, Elena needs a break from the party. She's tired of forcing a smile and pretending to be okay, when she's not; so she sneaks upstairs to her sister's room for a few minutes. She walked around the room to make sure that there were no other teenagers making out in there – or worse – then sat at the foot of the bed.

The desk just to the left of the door was usually riddled with sketches and various art supplies, so Elena didn't think much of the mess covering it now. But what did catch her attention was the recently added map and various articles of animal attacks tapped to the wall just above it.

She stood up to get a better look, and became angry at the sight. Her sister had been tracking what she thought were Klaus' victims without her. She – and what she could only assume were – Damon and Hayley had been searching for Stefan without her. But why?

Meanwhile at the News Station, Damon runs into his little brother. Stefan tries asking him nicely to stop following him and to let him go; but Damon, of course, refuses to do so. Elena misses him something awful and, whether she admits it or not, Phoebe still blames herself for him being shanghaied into Klaus' servitude. Since asking nicely didn't get the desired result, Stefan tells Andie that she can now move – having compelled her to stand on the edge of a very high platform. Telling her to move forced her to step off that platform and fall to her death.

Damon tried to help her, but Stefan held him back. He told him once more to stop following him, and left. Damon looked Andie over to see if there was any helping her, but there was nothing her could do for her. Andie was gone.

Back at the Boarding House, the party is starting to die down. Jeremy and Matt are both heading out for the night, but Matt can't seem to find his truck.

"That's probably a sign you shouldn't be driving it, then," Hayley told him, when she found him. "Come on. I'll give you a ride home."

She noticed Jeremy sitting in his car talking to himself, and furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. She tapped on the window and asked if he was okay. Jeremy lowe4red the window and tried assuring her that he was, but her wolf senses were heightened with the upcoming full moon and she could smell the weed on him.

It didn't take much convincing to get him to move over and let her drive, or to get Matt into the backseat. Even though Jeremy wasn't that wasted, he still knew it probably wasn't a good idea to drive when Anna and Vicki kept popping up like they were.

Back inside, Caroline took Hayley's advice and spoke to Tyler about how she felt. He told her flat out that he already tried telling her how he felt and she rejected him, so he wasn't going there again. If she wanted something more from him, she was going to have to say it this time. So she did. More rather, she kissed him. Tyler happily kissed her back, before taking her back to his place.

By the time Damon got back, at least half of the party-goers were already leaving or gone. He found Phoebe as quickly as he could and brought her upstairs to tell her about his encounter with Stefan. Unfortunately, when they entered Phoebe's room they were met with an angry Elena.

"Elena? What are you…?" Phoebe's question trailed off, as she realized what her sister had been looking at.

"Why didn't you tell me? Why did you keep it a secret?" Elena demanded.

"Can we not do this right now? I'm having a really bad night," Damon whined.

"All summer. Every single time I came to you two with a lead, you made me feel like such an idiot for having hope," Elena pressed.

Phoebe opened her mouth to attempt to smooth things over, but Damon cut her off, "You were an idiot.

Phoebe gave him a look, "You're not helping."

"I thought we were past this. I thought we were past keeping secrets from each other."

"We are," Phoebe lied.

"Then why haven't you told me that you've been tracking Klaus' victims?" Elena demanded, her anger growing.

"Because they're not Klaus' victims, Elena, they're Stefan's!" Damon snapped.

Elena was taken aback, "…what?"

"He's left a trail of body parts up and down the Eastern seaboard," Damon continued.

"No…you're wrong," Elena stammered. Though whether she was trying to convince herself or Damon was unclear. She looked to her sister for help, but found none. Not telling her this was one thing, but blatantly lying to her face about it was another.

"I've seen it happen before," Damon went on. "He's flipped his switch. Full blown ripper."

"Stop it, Damon," Phoebe spoke up.

"No, you stop it! Stop coddling her," he snapped. He looked back at Elena. "Stop looking for him, stop waiting for him to come home, just _**stop**_! Stefan is gone and he's never coming back. Not in your lifetime."

"That's enough!" Phoebe snapped back. Elena was almost in tears. "I don't know what happened to put you in such a foul mood, but _**nothing**_ – and I mean _**nothing**_ – gives you the right to speak to my sister that way. Do you understand me?"

Damon's only response was storming out of the room, slamming the door behind him. The sound made Elena jump, then she started to cry.

Over at the Gilbert House, Matt is invited to stay the night, since he's not very sober. He argues at first, but is quickly convinced by the promise of ice cream. Since Jenna's there to keep an eye on them, Hayley leaves them to head back to the Boarding house. A little while later – after their ice cream – Jeremy tries telling Matt that he's been seeing Vicki all summer. Matt thinks he means in the normal way people do when they miss someone, and admits to seeing her around sometimes, too.

Elsewhere, Klaus breaks through to ray, finally getting him to reveal where his pack turns on the full moons. He's rewarded with being fed Klaus' blood and then having his neck snapped, sending him into transition. Klaus also receives a confirmation text from Stefan that he's dealt with his brother and is on his way back.

Meanwhile, Phoebe brings her sister home. Elena hesitates to get out of the car, giving Phoebe the opportunity to tell her, "He shouldn't have snapped at you like that. I'm sorry."

"It wasn't your fault, Phoebe," she told her.

"No, but…" She took a breath. "He wasn't wrong, Elena. Stefan's gone. It doesn't matter if we find him, because he can't come back, until Klaus releases him. If we try to take him by force or even manage to convince him to run away and come home, there's going to be consequences."

Elena looked at her sister. "I know, but…I never even got to say goodbye, Phoebe. How am I supposed to just let him go – let us go – without even getting to say goodbye?"

Phoebe considered her words. It was honestly something she hadn't considered. Not getting to say goodbye seemed like nothing on the surface, but when you really thought about it, it made losing someone you loved that much harder to get over. Phoebe hadn't gotten the chance to say goodbye to John, and she was nearly crippled by the loss. To this day – 4 months later – she was still weighed down by the loss. It still would have hurt to lose him, but she imagines it might have been a bit easier if she had more than just a note to reread every night – something Elena didn't have. Stefan had never left her note, sent her an email, or even a text. Elena had nothing.

Elena reached for the door to get out, but Phoebe stopped her, "You're right. You deserve a goodbye. So I'll help you get that. I'll help you find Stefan, and get the goodbye you need to move on. But I won't help you kidnap him or try to convince him to come home."

Elena smiled and hugged her sister, "Thank you."

Back at the Boarding House, Damon compelled everyone to leave and go home. He then walked upstairs to his brother's room. He looked around the room, his anger building within him. He'd spent all summer looking for him, and now it felt like such a waste of time. Stefan didn't want to be found, and he felt like such an idiot for even trying. That's when he lost it.

Damon began tossing things, flipping tables, and knocking things around. Hayley heard him throwing things around, and ran up to see what was going on. She arrived in time to stop him from smashing Stefan's guitar, but he'd already done a fair amount of damage to Stefan's room.

Elsewhere, Stefan pulls over a little ways down the road from the bar he's supposed to rejoin Klaus in. He doesn't like how easy it was to do that – to kill Andie. He doesn't like how much easier it becomes to let go of his old life with each new kill. He doesn't want to become the ripper. Not again.

Stefan begins to type up an email for Phoebe, but that doesn't seem to be enough. The way he feel right now…he needs more.

Phoebe was just pulling up at the Boarding House when she got a call from an unknown number. She almost didn't answer, but something told her she should.

"Hello?"

There was no answer.

"Hello?" she repeated.

Stefan took in a shaky breath, "…Lollipops."

Phoebe turned on the car radio so Damon couldn't hear them talking. "Stefan? Is that you?"

"I killed her," he replied. "He didn't tell me to, but I didn't it anyway."

"Wait, who? Who did you kill?"

"Andie." He swallowed the lump building in his throat. "I killed Andie to get Damon to stop following me."

Phoebe closed her eyes and took a deep, slow breath.

"I can't do this anymore, Phoebe. I can't. Each time I kill it becomes easier to leave my old life behind – to leave Elena behind."

"Then let it go," she advised. "Holding on to us, your old life, what you had with my sister – it's killing you. That Stefan left Mystic Falls four months ago, and he isn't coming back. You need to let him go, or it's gonna drive you mad."

She was right. He refused to admit it, but she was right. Clinging to the past like he was, was killing him.

"But you listen to me," she continued. "No matter what he makes you do – no matter what you choose to do to protect us – you _**will**_ get through it. You are the strongest person I know, Stefan."

Stefan's eyes watered and the lump returned to his throat. He shook his head, "I'm not. I'm not strong, Phoebe, I'm weak."

"No, you're not, Stefan. You are so strong. You know how I know that? Because after everything you've been through over the past 162 years, you've never given up. Even when you came close to giving up, you still chose to keep fighting. You chose to put that gotti ring back on your finger that night and keep fighting – to live, Stefan. You think Damon or anyone else would have chosen the same, if they had to carry around _**half**_ the guilt you do on a daily basis? No. And _**that**_ …that is what makes you the strongest person I know, Stefan. _**That**_ is why I _**know**_ you will make it through this, come what may."

Stefan was speechless. How is it the girl that never had the right words for anything managed to convince him that he was some sort of superman?

Phoebe looked at her phone to make sure he was still there, "Stefan? You still there?"

"Yeah," he choked out. "Yeah, I'm still here…Thank you, Phoebe. I, uh…I needed to hear that."

"Anytime, Broody Wan Kenobi. Anytime."

Stefan let out an involuntary laugh, "Broody Wan Kenobi, huh? How long have you been working on that one?"

"Oh, I've been working on a whole list for when you get back," she teased.

"Well, I should go," he nodded. "Klaus is waiting for me."

"Tell him I hope he slips and falls on a stake," Phoebe joked.

That got another light laugh out of him, "Goodbye, Phoebe."

"Bye, Stefan."

Later that night, at the Lockwood Mansion, Caroline tries to sneak out after her hook up with Tyler. Unfortunately, Mrs. Lockwood catches her by surprise. She's laced Caroline's purse with vervain to test her for being a vampire. As soon as she sees Caroline's reaction to the vervain, she shot her full of it to knock her out.


	48. The Hybrid

Chapter 48: The Hybrid

When Phoebe woke the next morning she went through her new routine of making coffee, taking her various medications, and checking her email to see if Stefan needed her. After that she headed upstairs to Stefan's room. She looked around at the mess Damon had made of it, as she sipped her coffee. She already knew she wanted to clean it up for when Stefan eventually came back, but wasn't quite sure where to begin.

Hayley appeared at her side with her own cup of coffee, “You know it's not gonna clean itself, right?”

“A girl can dream,” Phoebe sighed. She unlocked her phone, opened a word document, and handed it to Hayley. _“Stefan called me last night.”_

Hayley's eyebrows shot up, and she looked at Phoebe. Phoebe nodded and sipped her coffee. Hayley scrolled down the document and found there was a lot more to be said. Phoebe had typed up everything that she had said to Stefan, and the promise that she made to Elena.

Hayley gave her a disapproving look, which Phoebe understood was meant to convey the general message of, _“If Klaus sees her and finds out she isn't dead...”_

Phoebe gestured for her to scroll down, where she explained that she knew it was a risk, but that Elena would never stop searching for Stefan until she got what she needed. At least with her help, she stood a better chance of Klaus **_not_** finding out.

Hayley had enough of this one sided conversation crap. She locked the phone, walked over to Stefan's CD player, and hit play on whatever he had in there last. “You still can't use your powers, though. If Klaus sees you two and tries to do something, you won't be able to fight him off.”

“But he doesn't know that. For all he knows I'm just as powerful as I was that night. Powerful enough to kill him,” Phoebe argued. “Besides, he should be too preoccupied with his werewolves tonight in the middle of the Smokey Mountains to notice Stefan slipping away for a moment to talk to Elena.”

“Tonight?!” she questioned in surprise. Phoebe shushed her and looked over at the door to make sure Damon hadn't reacted to her raised voice. “Phoebe, it's a full moon tonight.”

“I'm aware of that.”

“So I can't go with you to help you. If you have to use your powers, I won't be there to explain why it's making you sick, or cover for you. And you won't be able to bring any vampire back up, without risking them being bitten,” Hayley pointed out.

“I know, I know. But this seems like the best time to do this. And if it's just me, Elena, and Rick then I can get away with saying that our tracking of them this summer has told us that they've been looking for werewolves; not that Stefan told me so. I can say that with that in mind, you told me that some werewolves like to turn out in the open instead of chaining themselves up, so they might go somewhere far away from people.”

“Like the Smokey Mountains,” Hayley finished for her. Phoebe nodded. Hayley gave a heavy sigh. “Just...be careful, okay?”

“I promise.”

Stefan and Klaus were hiking their way through the Smokey Mountains, as they spoke. Stefan had Ray's still dead body thrown over his shoulder, while they searched for Ray's pack. When they finally found them, he dropped Ray at their feet. The pack was angry to say the least. It wasn't until Klaus introduced himself that they began to grow afraid.

Meanwhile back in Mystic Falls, Tyler's mother tests him for vampirism with vervain in his coffee – which he can taste, but isn't harmed by it. They discuss Caroline and how she tried to sneak out in the middle of the night, like a prostitute – Tyler both defending her and apologizing. After he leaves, Carol calls Bill Forbes about her vampire situation.

Over at the Grill, Jeremy convinces Matt that when he says he's been seeing Vicki he doesn't mean in that 'I miss her' kind of way. He's been seeing her all summer and she asked him to help her. Matt is unnerved by all this news, but Jeremy convinces him to try doing some kind of séance to contact her and ask her what she means, later that night.

Elsewhere, after sending Hayley on her way to the house in Reidsville, Phoebe tells Elena about her plan to hike through the Smokey Mountains to find Stefan. Rick and Jenna, who are also there, don't like the sound of this plan, but they can't stop them from going. Rick agrees to join them, but – as much as she wants to come too – Jenna has to stay behind. Since she's a vampire now, they can't risk her getting bitten.

Back at the werewolf campsite, Klaus describes a true hybrid to the pack. Then, as though on cue, Ray wakes up in transition. It had quite the dramatic effect. Stefan took one of the humans that was “along for the ride” and forced Ray to feed on him to complete his transition. While he did that, Klaus ran around turning the rest of the pack into hybrids.

Later that morning – back at the Grill – Tyler and Matt finally talk. Tyler apologizes for his friendship with Caroline being a problem for Matt; it was never what he intended to happen. Matt begins to brush him off, but forces himself to try making amends. Caroline hasn’t shown up to meet Tyler yet, and it’s a full moon tonight. He offers to help him, if he needs it. Tyler, happy to have his friend back, politely declines.

Matt tries walking away, but is again stopped by Tyler. He’s reacting to the taste of the coffee, which Matt tells him is the vervain in it. The humans can’t even taste it, and the vampires, obviously, are burned by it. Though Hayley has stopped ordering the coffee there lately, because she can taste it too.

Elsewhere, Damon runs into Aunt Jenna. Somewhere in their brief conversation Jenna mentions something about him being left behind, too. Having assumed that Phoebe is away helping Hayley with the full moon like she does every other full moon, Damon is confused.

“Their little trip to the Smoky Mountains? Rick took the girls early this morning,” said Jenna. “They didn’t tell you?”

“What the hell are they doing in the Smoky Mountains?” Damon questioned.

“Oh boy…I thought they just asked you to stay behind too so you wouldn’t get bitten by a werewolf, again.”

“Why are they there?” he repeated, growing more agitated.

“They’re going to find Stefan!” she blurted out. “Phoebe said she narrowed down a lead or something on the Smoky Mountains, so they went to look for Stefan.”

That was all Damon really needed. After that brief chat, he headed for the Smoky Mountains to bring his idiot genius girlfriend home and scold her for being so stupid.

It takes him a little while to get there and find them, but when he does they’re stopping by the water for a breather. Rick had just given the girls some wolfsbane grenades to put in their bags. Phoebe had taken her bag off to also get another energy supplement – she was beginning to feel run down – when Damon charged and sent her flying right into the water.

Rick reacted by grabbing his crossbow and aiming it at Damon, until he realized who it was.

Phoebe coughed out dirty water and cleared her eyes, realizing her glasses were no longer on her face.

“Damon? What are you doing here?” Elena asked him.

Damon scowled at his girlfriend, “Seems someone forgot to mention to Jenna that I was left out of the loop on this little hike of yours.”

Rick looked at Phoebe, “You didn’t tell him?”

“I wasn’t aware that was a requirement,” she joked, trying to feel around for her glasses. She had an extra set in her bag for emergencies, but still. Glasses weren’t cheap.

“Get out of the water, Phoebe,” Damon commanded.

“You know, now that I’m actually in here, I’m thinking I might go for a swim,” she joked back. “The water actually feels kinda nice.”

“Stop being an idiot and get out of the water,” Damon repeated.

“You’re the one that tossed me in here,” she called back to the blurry outline.

“Right now, you’re both acting like idiots,” Rick mumbled, putting away his crossbow.

“You gave up on him, Damon,” Elena commented.

“I didn’t give up on him, Elena, I face reality,” he replied. He turned back to the twin still trying to fish her glasses out of the water. “Get out of the water!”

Phoebe sighed, “Nope.”

“What’s your big plan, Phoebe? Huh?” Damon asked, joining her in the water. “You gona walk through a campsite full of werewolves, roast a marshmallow, and wait for Stefan to stop by?”

“Well, that depends.” She stood up straight and squinted at the blur before her. “Does the marshmallow come as part of a smores? Because that’s really the only way I can stand to eat a marshmallow.”

Phoebe could see his face, but she still knew Damon wasn’t amused. She gave another sigh. “My plan is find him and let my sister talk to him. She deserves a chance to say goodbye, Damon, and I’m not going home until she gets that. I made a promise.”

“Klaus thinks she died when he broke the curse. That makes her safe. This?” He gestured to the open space around them – not that she could see it. “This is not safe.”

“I’m aware of that, Damon, and I intend to keep her safe.”

“It’s a full moon tonight, Phoebe.”

“I’m aware of that, too. But this is the closest we’ve been to him since he left Mystic Falls,” said Phoebe. Damon didn’t say anything. “Put yourself in her shoes for a moment. What if instead of taking Stefan out of town, Klaus decided he wanted to keep the only thing capable of killing him by his side and made me leave town with him? No goodbye, no explanation. Just left town with him. You’d be hunting me down just as intently as she’s been hunting down Stefan, if not more.”

Damon rolled his eyes. He hated when she made such a compelling argument. It was a trait he loved about her, but when it was against him, he hated it. “Okay. Okay. But we are out of here before the moon is full and I’m werewolf bait.”

“I promise,” she grinned. “You owe me a new pair of glasses, by the way.”

Meanwhile, Ray is reacting badly to his transition into hybrid. He’s bleeding from his eyes and shaking uncontrollably. Klaus looks him over, wondering what’s going wrong with him, while Stefan mocks his “master race”. The others soon begin to wake and Ray takes the opportunity to run away. Klaus sends Stefan after him.

It didn’t take him long to find Ray, but Ray refused to be taken quietly and bit Stefan. Stefan gaped down at his arm in horror. Surely a hybrid bite was just as lethal as any werewolf bite. Making them part vampire didn’t change the rules that much.

Stefan was so lost in his own thoughts, he barely noticed Ray taking off again. He was about to turn back and tell Klaus what had happened when he heard a familiar sound. Someone was humming in the distance. He turned towards the origin and found an entire group of familiar faces hiking their way up the mountain. Rick, Damon, Elena, and Phoebe humming along with them.

Oh how he’d missed that sound. It was strange the things you found you missed when you went away for so long. Things you always took for granted or just plain never really noticed. And Phoebe’s absentminded humming was something he’d never paid much attention to, but missed sorely now.

Klaus appeared before Stefan just as the group disappeared from sight. Stefan told him what happened with Ray, but Klaus refused to heal him. He said he’d heal him only when he brought Ray back to the campsite, and encouraged him to get moving before he became too weak to catch him.

Back in Mystic Falls, Tyler confronts his mother about the vervain she slipped into his coffee earlier that morning. She tried pretending she doesn’t know what he’s talking about, but Tyler isn’t in the mood to play games. She’s done something to Caroline and he wants to know what.

Carol admits she tested him, because she was worried Caroline might have turned him – what with all the time they’d been sharing together lately. She tells him that Caroline is a monster and that they can’t be together anymore. That’s when Tyler realized she had no idea about the Lockwood family curse. That’s when he decided to show her just what a monster looked like, and it wasn’t Caroline.

A short time later Rick, Damon, and the twins come across Ray the failed hybrid zombie thing. They were all rather confused by just what exactly he was. He certainly looked like a hybrid – well, sort of. Ray wasn’t too sure what to make of them either, at first. They all sort of stood there for a moment trying to figure one another out – that is until Ray set his sights on Damon.

Ray charged at Damon the moment he sensed that he was a vampire. Phoebe – out of fear – reacted, and sent him flying back a ways. He recovered quicker than she expected and came charging back at Damon. Thankfully Rick had the sense to dig out his wolfsbane grenade, pull the pin, and toss it to Damon. Damon shoved it in Ray’s face and it exploded. Ray went down for the count.

“Hybrid?” Rick guessed.

Damon nodded in agreement, then proceeded to tie Ray up to a nearby tree. They used all the chains and ropes they had – including dousing the ropes in wolfsbane and vervain, which Damon stupidly burned himself on.

“Okay, so now what?” Phoebe asked. “We’ve used all our ropes to tie him up. Which probably isn’t gonna hold him, when he wakes up.”

“She’s right. And I don’t think we’re gonna make that ridge before the full moon,” Rick agreed.

“If we can get him to talk, we don’t have to,” said Elena.

She moved in closer to Ray, reaching a hand up to wake him. Ray’s eyes snapped open and inhaled sharply. Both of the twins jumped. Elena tried composing herself to ask him where Stefan was, but Ray had other plans. He began writhing beneath the ropes and chains, and the sound of bones breaking was audible to even human ears.

Damon eyed him with as much surprise as the others, “Is he turning?”

“That’s impossible, it’s still daylight,” Elena argued.

“Tell him that,” Rick retorted.

Damon moved in to hold Ray back, knowing the ropes weren’t gonna hold forever.

“Okay, it’s time to go,” said Phoebe.

“There weren’t supposed to be wolves out here until the moon was full,” Elena complained.

“Well, evidently hybrids don’t play by the same rules as your average werewolf,” Phoebe retorted. “We need to go.”

“I’m not leaving without Stefan.”

Phoebe barely touched her sister’s face and sent her into a deep sleep. Rick had to catch her as she collapsed.

“Damon, let’s go!” Phoebe called, grabbing his arm and pulling.

Damon let go of the hybrid and took hold of her hand, following her away from the dangerous hybrid failure.

Back in Mystic Falls, Matt and Jeremy go through some of Vicki’s old things to look for stuff to use in the séance. It’s nostalgic for them both. But after looking at an old picture of the two of them together as kids, Matt changes his mind. He doesn’t want to bring up old memories and such or for ghosts to be a real thing. So he sends Jeremy away. When he turns back around, he finds the picture that he was just looking at is now standing upright, which is not how he left it.

Meanwhile, Tyler brings his mother down to the old Lockwood cellar and locks her in a cage for safety. She protests, not understanding what’s going on, but soon finds out. Tyler barely makes it into his chains before he begins to turn right before her eyes.

Back in the Smoky Mountains, Rick – carrying an unconscious Elena – trips and falls. Phoebe and Damon turn around to help, but there’s a problem: Ray’s wolf is there, right in Rick’s face. Damon calls the wolf’s attention to himself and flits away. The wolf follows.

“Damon!” Phoebe called. She looked down at Rick. “Can you walk?”

“Yeah, I just tripped.”

“Good. Get Elena out of here,” she ordered, running after Damon and the wolf.

“Phoebe!” Rick called after her. It was a stupid idea to chase after a hybrid – even a failed one – but there was no stopping her. Not without leaving Elena alone. So he let her go, and took care of Elena.

Ray catches up to Damon pretty quickly – Phoebe not too far behind, despite the fact that she can’t flit. Having shifted back into human form, he attacks Damon. He does his best to fight off the hybrid, while also avoiding being bitten again. Ray slams him so hard against a tree, Damon is knocked out cold.

Ray moves in for the kill, but is suddenly sent flying away from the vampire. Again, he recovers quickly and sets his sights on Phoebe. She braces herself to fight back, but an unlikely ally appears, ripping the heart from Ray’s chest. Phoebe suddenly felt very nauseous, and lurched.

“Phoebe? You o--”

He was cut short by Phoebe actually throwing up. She’d had way too much coffee and caffeine supplements today. That combined with her using her powers so much in such a short time, her body was now paying her back for it all.

She wiped her mouth, and stood up straight, “Stefan. Good to see you, again.”

“You, too.” He gestured to her hair. “I like the haircut.”

“Thanks,” she smiled. She did a double-take at his arm and moved in for a closer look. “Tell me that’s not what I think it is.”

Stefan took the hand reaching out to grab his arm and held it, “Klaus already said he was going to heal me as soon as I get Ray back to him. Nothing’s gonna happen to me, I promise.”

“He better. Or I’ll have to kick his ass…again.”

Not that it wasn’t good to see her again – it really was – but Stefan was confused about something, “I didn’t know you were gonna be coming out here. You usually tell me when you guys are gonna be checking out an area nearby.”

Phoebe took her hand back and told him the truth – she told him about her promise to Elena. Stefan listened quietly, then nodded. “So you decided to take a hike through the Smoky Mountains to look for me, on a full moon, knowing we were going to be with a pack of werewolves?”

“Yeah…Hindsight? Not one of my better plans.”

“Ya think?”

“I’m sorry. I just thought it would be good for you both to have that closure,” said Phoebe.

“It’s okay. You were just trying to help,” he replied – though Phoebe could tell he was a little upset with her for it.

Phoebe opened her mouth to try smoothing things over more, but Damon began grumbling and moving.

“I better go,” said Stefan, picking Ray up. “I’ll email you.”

Phoebe started to say goodbye, but Stefan flitted away before she could. She sighed with disappointment, then moved to help Damon. She lied about scaring Ray off with her powers, and told him to get them out of there before he came back. Damon snatched her up and flitted to his car. There, she threw up again from the motion, while Damon called Rick to tell them they were both still alive.

Back in Mystic Falls, Matt changes his mind about the séance and brings a few things over to the Gilbert house for Jeremy to use. They both talk about their last memories with Vicki – or lack thereof. Jeremy had his compelled away, and Matt can’t remember his last memory of her before she was a vampire.

They’re reminiscing causes Vicki to appear. Jeremy talks to her, and she claims she can come back, with their help. Before she can say how, Anna appears and tells Jeremy not to trust Vicki.

Meanwhile, Stefan returns to the campsite with Ray’s body. The entire pack is dead. Klaus explains that he had to kill them, because they became rabid, like Ray. He throws a fit, and raises his voice in anger. He doesn’t understand why he can’t sire hybrids; even though he did everything he was told. He sacrificed a vampire, he sacrificed a werewolf, and he sacrificed the doppelganger.

Stefan became nervous. He didn’t want Klaus to figure out that Elena was still alive, and that it might be the reason he can’t sire hybrids. Klaus noticed his discomfort, but Stefan played it off as his concern for not being healed yet for the werewolf bite. Klaus accepted this answer, and healed him. Then the two left the dead pack of werewolves behind to find answers.

It was a quiet car ride back to Mystic Falls for Damon and Phoebe. Both were busy sulking over what the other had done. Damon was angry that Phoebe had kept him out of the loop, and Phoebe was angry that he’d followed her out there. But once they were home and Phoebe was getting ready to head out to join Hayley in Reidsville, The tension was broken and words were exchanged.

It wasn’t the kind of fight that needed making up after, because it was understood that both parties were only angry out of love for the other. Damon wanted to protect Phoebe and going out there on a full moon, knowing there were going to be werewolves, was a stupid idea. Phoebe wanted to protect Damon as well, which is why she didn’t tell him. She knew he’d follow her out there if he knew, and he was just healed from a werewolf bite. She wasn’t eager to go through that nightmare ever again.

They were both still angry at one another when she left, but again it wasn’t something that needed making up or resolving. They were merely showing concern for one another. Though it bugged the hell out of Phoebe that Damon, yet again, showed his lack of respect for her wishes and called her stupid for what she’d done.

When she finally made it to Elijah’s house in Reidsville, Phoebe helped unchain Hayley and get her to bed to rest. She herself was tired from today’s events, and passed out soon after on her own bed. Meanwhile, Carol promises Tyler to get Caroline back for him, having seen that Caroline isn’t the worst thing out there.

Elsewhere, poor Caroline wakes up alone and restrained to a chair that even her vampire strength can’t break free of. She calls out for whoever’s there, and they appear. To her own horror, the person holding her captive is her own father.

 

****


	49. The End of the Affair

Chapter 49: The End of the Affair

Klaus refused to tell Stefan where they were going, after they left the Smoky Mountains. Through the entire hike down to their hotel, even after getting cleaned up and being loaded back into the trucks; he simply refused to tell Stefan, until they had already arrived in Chicago. Stefan was less than impressed, even more so when Klaus tried to remind him of the 20s. The 20s weren't exactly a good decade for Stefan. It was a time he tried hard to forget.

After seeing that his traveling companion was in no mood to discuss his time in 1920 Chicago, Klaus moved onto other topics. He admitted to Stefan that he'd come to see a witch - one of his favorite witches - to find out why he couldn't make other hybrids. If anyone could tell him what he was doing wrong, it was Gloria.

Later that morning Damon got a surprising call from Katherine. She started out doing her usual, playing games with him - she claimed she was bored and wanted to know what drama was going on back in Mystic Falls. Damon gave her a brief rundown, also mentioning that no one's thought of her since she left. The jab didn't sting as much as he'd hoped.

Katherine made a comeback jab about him and Phoebe ("So you and Phoebe finally an item, or is she clinging to the excuse that you two can't be happy until you get Stefan back? I certainly hope not, given that you've chosen to give up on him."). That got more of a response out of Damon than his jab had gotten out of her. He defended that he hadn't given up on Stefan, he just had no idea where he was. That's when it hit him: Katherine knew.

Meanwhile at Elijah's house in Reidsville, Phoebe shows signs of being hungover from using her powers when she shouldn't have. Hayley wasn't happy about that. But she only scolded Phoebe out of love and concern for her well-being. It didn't matter that Damon had found out where Phoebe had taken her sister, and that he had followed them out there. It didn't matter that a crazy, zombie, hybrid thing had attacked them multiple times and she was only trying to keep Damon from being bitten, again. Or that her sister idiotically wanted to stay and look for Stefan even after the zombie hybrid mutant had started turning **_before_** the moon was full. She didn't want Phoebe making herself worse by using her powers when she could have found other solutions to those problems.

"You're gonna have to rely on your own wit again once you're a vampire, anyways," said Hayley. "You're not gonna have your powers anymore, when you turn."

"Well, technically the rules only specify you can't be a witch and a vampire at the same time," Phoebe argued. "I'm technically an anomaly, so I **_might_** be able to keep by powers."

Hayley gave her a look, "You know what I mean, Phoebe. Besides, if Elijah were here, he'd tell you the same thing. You've grown too dependent on your powers. You need to start relying on your brain, again. That's your real power. The one thing the witches can't take from you, because they didn't give it to you. And it's the one thing we **_know_** you'll still have once you're a vampire."

Phoebe's phone began vibrating next to her. It was Damon. Despite the look on Hayley's face telling her not to, she answered it, "Hey, this isn't a...What? Where?...Chicago?...How do you know?...Katherine told you. And you trust her?...No, we'll just left you there. We're already four hours in a completely different direction...Yes, I'm sure. Just make sure you bring Elena. She's the whole reason we're doing this...Yeah, you too. Bye."

"Stefan?" Hayley guessed.

"Yeah, apparently Katherine got bored and called Damon this morning. Long story short, she knows that Stefan and Klaus are in Chicago."

"And you guys believe her?" she questioned. "Isn't she kinda known for her lying and manipulation?"

"She is, but it makes sense that she'd know where Klaus is at all times," Phoebe relented. "I mean, he has wanted her dead for the last 500 years. Just because he currently has something else occupying his main focus doesn't mean he wouldn't kill her if he ran across her again."

Hayley couldn't argue with that. Mostly because she didn't know Katherine half as well as the rest of them did, but also because it just made sense. "So to Chicago?"

"To Chicago."

Elsewhere, Caroline is being kept in a weakened state by her father via vervain through the ventilation system. Her father explains that the place in which he's holding her was built by her ancestors to hold a vampire: ventilation to pump vervain through, reinforced steel holding chair, and a window with shudders for exposing said vampire to periodic doses of sunlight.

Caroline pleads with her father to let her go, but he can't. He needs to know how she can walk in the sunlight. It's honestly the only thing he wants to know; so she tells him. Bill marvels at her ring momentarily, before removing it and tossing it aside. With that out of the way, they can now begin her reconditioning treatments. Every time the blood makes her vampire face appear and her fangs grow, he exposes her to the sunlight.

A while later, once they were already on the road, Damon gave Elena one of Stefan's journals. It's from the 20s, when he was in Chicago. Elena refuses to invade Stefan's private thoughts by reading it, but Damon insists. He and Phoebe agree that she needs to be prepared for whatever state they may find Stefan in. She's only seen him when things are all sunshine and rainbows. She has no idea what he's like when he's off the rails. Elena eventually agrees to read a little bit of the journal, after Damon reads a passage aloud to her ("When did you and Phoebe become the parental units?").

Meanwhile, Stefan is met with an old face from the 20s. The witch Klaus and brought them there to meet – Gloria. She should be dead by now, but like Agnes and Zoie, she uses magic to slow the aging process. She still tends the same bar she used to back in the 20s, though more openly now that prohibition is no longer in effect.

Klaus sends Stefan to get a drink, while he speaks with Gloria. He tells her of his hybrid problems, and she tells him that there must be something he's doing wrong; but the only way to know for sure is to speak to the Original Witch – the one that created the hybrid curse – and she's dead. However, Rebekah – Klaus' sister – holds the key to contacting her. Bring Rebekah to her, and she can talk to the Original Witch about what he's doing wrong.

Stefan eavesdrops with his vampire hearing, while the two speak for fear she might tell him that the doppelganger is still alive – or something almost as bad. To his temporary relief, she doesn't make any mention of Elena. Then a new problem caught his attention. One of the photos attached to the mirror behind the bar was of Stefan and Klaus together, back in the 20s. The problem was, Stefan had no memory of meeting Klaus prior to his arrival in Mystic Falls a few months back.

As predicted, Hayley and Phoebe arrived in Chicago before Damon and Elena. They waited outside the rundown building Damon told them to go to and wait. Phoebe passed the time sketching in her sketchbook, but Hayley was bored out of her mind. She didn't understand why they couldn't at least wait at a restaurant or something, so they could eat while they waited.

Damon explained to all three women, upon their arrival, that the building used to be a nice apartment complex that Stefan stayed at during his time in Chicago. But he mostly chose that location because of the all girls' college that used to be around the corner. It was closed due to attendance issues.

Aside from that thrilling bit of trivia, Damon had one other thing to show to the girls – mostly Elena. There was a hidden closet behind the pantry shelves meant for hiding your alcohol during prohibition. Stefan used the wall of it to list the names of everyone he's ever killed. Elena was speechless.

"Still handling it?" he asked her rhetorically.

"And what were you doing in the 1920s?" Hayley retorted. "Paving the way for women's liberation?'

"I was around. Chicago's a big city," said Damon. "Stefan was a cocky ripper douche. But I could avoid him and still indulge in a few Daisy Buchanans of my own." He gave Phoebe one of his signature smirks.

Phoebe rolled her eyes playfully and shook her head. Damon headed for the door.

"Where are you going?" Elena asked.

"His old stomping ground."

Phoebe tried to follow, "I'm coming with you."

"No, you stay here and whip up an actual plan," said Damon. "I'll come back when I find him." He gave Phoebe another look, and left.

Elsewhere Stefan asks Klaus about why he doesn't remember meeting him back in the 20s, but his answers are evasive at best – his priority is to wake Rebekah and get what he needs. Stefan pushes, so Klaus explains how they met, as he undaggers Rebekah. They met at Gloria's bar, and he hated him. He didn't want his little sister around him, much less in love with him. But Stefan eventually grew on him and Klaus became his number one fan.

Stefan still doesn't remember any of this, and Rebekah – though desiccated – doesn't look familiar to him. Klaus warns him not to tell her that ("Her temper is worse than mine."). He then compels the guard to tell Rebekah where to meet them when she wakes and to feed her, before leaving to bring Stefan farther down memory lane.

Meanwhile, Damon pays a visit to Gloria's bar, which is now open and in full swing. The two chat and exchange pleasantries – she even admits that she's always liked Damon better than Stefan. But despite Damon asking nicely, she refuses to tell him where Stefan and Klaus went or what they're doing. But she does mention that they'll be back later that night.

Back at the apartment, Elena reads through more of Stefan's journal while Phoebe and Hayley poke around the apartment. Then, with no warning at all, Hayley started grabbing their things and telling the twins to hide. Elena, of course, just sat there questioning why they needed to hide; but Phoebe grabbed her, and shoved her into the bathroom with Hayley and their things.

Phoebe ran back into the kitchen to grab her phone, which she'd left on the counter. But there wasn't time to cross the apartment and get back to the bathroom with the other girls – her human ears could hear Klaus and Stefan talking out in the hall. There was only one place to go, and it would likely be the one place they would actually look at – the hidden cupboard.

Klaus voiced his concerns for the broken doorknob upon entering the old apartment – he could tell there had been someone there recently. Stefan made a point to remind him that it's been 90 years since he was last there. People must break into that place all the time. Yet despite nothing being disturbed or taken, Klaus accepted this answer; but only because he smelled something familiar in the air.

The scent of raspberries and vanilla was rather faint, especially with all the dust filling the place; but Klaus could still smell it. He said nothing to Stefan about the familiar scent – surely Stefan smelled it too and recognized it far more than he did. Instead, he simply went on about their time in the 20s and moved to show Stefan why he had brought him there.

The sweet smell grew stronger the closer Klaus got to his desired location. _"This must be where she's hiding."_ He couldn't help but smile.

Klaus pulled open the door to the hidden cupboard and the smell of raspberries and vanilla assaulted his heightened hybrid senses. Phoebe tensed up and she tried to make herself smaller in her little corner of the cupboard. Even Hayley and Elena all the way in the bathroom could tell where Klaus was leading Stefan, and they cringed. It wouldn't be so bad if they found Phoebe, because Klaus already knew she was alive. But what if Klaus thought she was here to finish the job she'd started? There was honestly no telling how he would react to finding her hiding in that cupboard.

Klaus stepped aside and gestured for Stefan to take a look in the cupboard. Stefan moved slowly inside and peered around the corner at the list of names. His heart jumped and his stomach lurched at the sight of Phoebe standing there. She looked around awkwardly and smiled the same way, like a kid getting caught doing something they shouldn't. Stefan just stared back at her with that conflicted look of his. He was happy to see her again, but also very much unhappy that she was here right now.

"Look what I found," Stefan announced.

Hayley and Elena shared a very much unnerved look. Phoebe's smile faded. She knew he wasn't going to turn her in to Klaus, but she still wasn't sure what he was up to.

Stefan grabbed a bottle off the shelf and exited the cupboard. Klaus accepted it, suggesting they find someone to pair it with. Stefan half-smiled in agreement and closed the cupboard door. The girls all waited for the men to leave the building entirely, before coming out of their hiding places. They didn't want to come out too early and risk Klaus hearing them. He couldn't know about Elena. It wasn't so bad if he found Hayley and Phoebe, but not Elena.

Meanwhile in Mystic Falls, Tyler needs help finding Caroline. His mother doesn't know where Bill took her, and she can't convince him to return her. And with everyone capable of helping out of town, that just leaves Liz. Tyler headed straight over to Caroline's house and found her mom. He told her everything he knew, but it was enough. She knew where Bill took Caroline. There was only one place he could possibly hold a vampire that he wasn't planning to kill.

Damon showed up about an hour later – after being called by the girls – and nonchalantly told Elena to make herself presentable to talk to Stefan tonight. Hayley and the twins stared at him blankly.

"What?" he asked, sitting on the couch.

"We tell you we were almost discovered by Klaus, and you're worried about what she's wearing?" Hayley questioned.

"I had an hour to realize what a bad idea it was to leave you three here, process it, and move on," he replied in his usual uncaring demeanor. "Now, get dressed. You're all road-trippy and gross."

Elena rolled her eyes and shook her head, as she headed for the bathroom to change. Hayley did the same, but walked into the kitchen to give Damon and Phoebe a moment alone.

Phoebe took a seat next to Damon.

"You okay?" he asked in a lowered voice.

"I'm fine," she told him. "But I won't be if you go in to distract Klaus, while my sister talks to Stefan."

Damon gave her a funny look, "How did you-"

"Someone has to distract him long enough for Elena to try convincing Stefan to come home, which you know she's going to," said Phoebe. "But you can't be the one to do it."

"Why not?"

"Because you have a very repetitive habit of pissing people off," she answered honestly. "If I talk to him-"

"Not gonna happen," he interrupted.

"Damon, don't make put you to sleep. You have to know that sending me to talk to him is a much better idea than sending you," Phoebe argued.

"Yeah? Well, how do you know he's not just gonna kill you the moment he sees you? Or make you start traveling with him, because he's suddenly changed his mind about keeping the only thing that can kill him close?"

"He won't change his mind. Klaus doesn't strike me as the kind to be that fickle," said Phoebe. "And if he wanted me dead, he would have killed me _**before**_ he left Mystic falls." She reached out and took his hand. He recoiled a little, nervous she might be trying to knock him out. "I can take care of myself, Damon. Even against an Original. You can't. Please just trust me, so I don't have to go through you."

Damon wasn't happy about it, but he relented, "Fine. But if something goes wrong, don't expect me to sit aside and do nothing."

Phoebe shook her head and smiled, "I would _**never**_ expect such a thing from you."

Meanwhile, Stefan and Klaus have returned to Gloria's bar and are sharing a few drinks. Stefan finds it amusing that Klaus wanted him to travel with him as his wingman for the way he used to torture people, when he's no longer that person. Klaus admits to that being part of his reason for wanting Stefan. The other part is that Stefan used to _**want**_ to be his wingman.

Stefan listens as Klaus tells him about the night they took that photo together. They shared a few drinks at Gloria's – much like they were now – only Klaus was the brooding, self-loathing one and Stefan was trying to lift his mood by telling him what an amazing creature he was. It all sounded too odd and backwards to be true for Stefan, especially considering he couldn't remember any of it.

After being questioned why he had no memory of anything Klaus had told him today, Klaus explained that he was forced to compel him to forget. Someone showed up looking for him and Rebekah, and they were forced to flee Chicago. Klaus compelled Stefan to forget them until he said otherwise. That's when Stefan found Rebekah's necklace on the floor – the one he gave to Elena.

Stefan tried questioning who would have the big bad Klaus running for his life, in 1920 Chiacgo; but Klaus refused to answer. He declared "story time" over, and poor himself another drink. Stefan took the time to step outside and get some air – or so he told Klaus. He was really going out to call Phoebe and find out what the hell she was doing in Chicago. But she was already there.

Back in Mystic Falls, Bill tells Caroline how he cried when he heard she'd been turned into a vampire – his baby girl. Caroline tried telling him that she was okay, she was still herself; but he wouldn't listen. He only further insisted that if he couldn't fix her, he'd have to kill her – which he didn't want to have to do. That's when mom showed up to the rescue.

Liz descended the stairs, gun drawn and aimed at her ex. She commanded he release their daughter, and sent Tyler down to get her. Bill tried to stop him, but Liz fired a warning shot at him and he moved aside. Tyler tore away the restraints that were holding Caroline to the chair, returned her ring, then carefully picked her up and carried her out of that horrible place.

Back in Chicago, Stefan flitted up to Phoebe, "Are you insane?"

"Well, hello to you, too," she replied.

"Klaus almost found you today."

"But he didn't," Phoebe argued. "Even if he had, it wouldn't have been all that bad. It's not like it was Elena hiding in that cupboard."

"But she is here, right? You brought her with you, didn't you?" he questioned. "You have got to get her out of here, before Klaus finds her."

"I can't. She refuses to give up on you until you're checked into vampire rehab and on the mend," said Phoebe. "I promised to get her to you so she could say her goodbyes, but you know Elena. She's gonna try whatever she can to get you back, regardless of the cost. Believe me, I've tried talking to her. She won't listen."

"Dammit, Phoebe, she is the key to everything!" Stefan pressed. "She was supposed to die in the sacrifice, but she didn't. Now Klaus can't create new hybrids. His witch is seconds from finding that out."

"What?"

"You need to get Elena out of here, and tell her to forget about me," said Stefan.

"Tell her yourself," said Damon, announcing his presence.

Stefan looked over and saw Elena standing in the distance with Damon and Hayley.

"I'll keep Klaus distracted, while you two talk," said Phoebe. "Stefan? Don't hold back. Being gentle isn't what's going to keep her away."

And with that, she stepped into the bar and began scanning the room for Klaus. He wasn't hard to find, even with his back to her. She locked sights on his dirty blonde curls, took a deep breath, and headed for the bar.

Klaus found himself smiling as she hopped onto the barstool next to him. He didn't even have to look to know who it was – her scent was very distinctive. Raspberry vanilla. There weren't many woman that wore that body spray, so despite having only met her a handful of times, he knew it was her. Even more so now, after having smelled it in the apartment earlier as well.

"You just don't give up, do you?" he asked her.

Phoebe thought about asking how he knew it was her, but figured he must've seen her approaching in the mirror behind the bar and so let it go. "Now what kind of friend would I be if I did that? I mean, I understand that may be a difficult concept for you to grasp, seeing as you have no friends…at all."

"Ah, yes. Friends," he mumbled. He picked up a drink umbrella and began fidgeting with it.

Phoebe rolled her eyes and did her best to ignore his comment. She was getting tired of him always trying to imply that there was something more between her and Stefan than friendship.

"Let's take a look at that friendship, shall we?" He turned his whole body to face Phoebe. She remained forward, sipping on the soda Gloria had dropped in front of her – her way of saying she knew Phoebe wasn't old enough to order any alcoholic beverages, but she could still sit there. "According to a source of mine, you've called him sexy."

"Okay, I was referring to both him and Damon when I said that, and I meant it objectively," Phoebe argued.

"There was the way you two danced together," he continued. "You can tell a lot about people by the way they dance together, and you two made quite the pair."

Phoebe chewed her straw in frustration.

Klaus' smile grew to show a glimpse of his dimples. "Alright, dances and summer correspondences aside…" He looked up to see her reaction to that.

Phoebe tensed, but looked at him as though she had no idea what he was talking about.

"Oh, don't play dumb, love. It doesn't suit you," he told her. "I've known about your little motivational emails for quite some time, now. I haven't read them personally, but I can tell when Stefan's received a particularly motivational one from you. He becomes even more argumentative than normal."

"Well, I can't say that I'm sorry to hear that," she replied, sipping her drink. Phoebe was very happy that he hadn't actually read any of her emails – she'd mentioned Elena in several of them. Her body relaxed a little.

Klaus picked up his own drink and went on, "My point, love, is this: There's a fine line between being good friends and in love. You and Stefan crossed that line when you kissed for my benefit." He took a sip of his drink, once again eyeing her for her reaction.

Phoebe turned her body to face him, now. "But that's _**all**_ it was – for _**your**_ benefit. So you'd think I was Elena."

"And it worked too," he admitted. His wicked grin returned to his face and he leaned in. "But just between us girls, I bet you haven't been able to stop thinking about that kiss, have you?"

Phoebe was now caught between a rock and a hard place. If she said she hadn't thought about it at all, he'd know she was lying. You didn't need to know her personally or have super hearing to listen to her heart to know that. If she admitted to thinking about it, but only out of guilt, he'd claim she must have enjoyed it a lot – you didn't feel guilty about doing something unless you liked doing it.

But Phoebe was not about to give him the satisfaction. She slid off of her barstool – bringing her closer to him than she'd ever care to be – and headed for the door. Klaus reached out and caught her arm, before she got far.

"Wait." He looked at her solemnly. "I'm sorry. I won't say another word about you and Stefan. Please. Stay." He wasn't sure why, but he found he quite enjoyed her company.

Phoebe looked down at the hand on her arm – he wasn't gripping her all that tight – then back at the door. Surely Elena had had enough time by now to say her goodbyes and try whatever feeble attempt at convincing Stefan to come home with them. But still. He was _**asking**_ her to stay. The big bad Klaus was _**asking**_ little Phoebe Gilbert to stay and keep him company.

Phoebe gave him a nod and he released her arm. Whatever reason that existed for this odd behavior, she wanted to discover it. Perhaps it could one day be used to their advantage.

Meanwhile outside, Hayley and Damon leave the once happy couple alone to talk. Elena tries luring Stefan into a warm embrace, hoping to lower his guard enough to drug him with vervain. Oddly, Stefan isn't interested in being held in her arms. He allows her to hold him for her own sake, but he doesn't even attempt to wrap his own arms around her.

The feeling of her hand brushing against his cheek doesn't move him the way it used. The smell of her perfume doesn't intoxicate him the way it used to. And the sight of her standing before him doesn't make him long to be in her arms the way it used to. It was an odd feeling for him, but Phoebe was right. They both needed this to know for sure it was over and time to move on. And for Stefan, it was over.

Elena tried injecting him with a vervain tranquilizer, while he was distracted by her embrace, but it failed. Stefan moved away from her with vampire speed and took the vervain from her. Now he was annoyed. He tried telling her about the risks of always coming after him with Klaus so nearby – she didn't care. He tried telling her that things would never be the same between them after everything he'd been forced to do this summer – she only reminded him that Lexi always managed to save him when he got like this, so she could too.

Seeing that there was no getting through to her with a more pleasant approach, Stefan decided to stop tip-toeing around her feelings. He told her flat out that things between them were done. That part of his life was over. He never wanted to see her again, and he didn't want to be with her again. She needed to leave and move on with her life.

Elena was crushed. She spent all this time holding out hope of saving him and bringing him home...spent so much time fighting everyone and their doubts. Now to find that he didn't want her help – that he didn't want _**her**_ …it was heartbreaking.

Stefan turned away from her and left her to her own thoughts. Now he really needed a moment alone, before returning to Klaus' side. Though telling her that he didn't want to see her anymore was far easier than he ever thought it would be. But perhaps that was just because he was annoyed by her persistence right now. Still. Even that was an odd thing to be so annoyed about.

Back inside, Phoebe got comfy on her barstool again. Klaus noticed dark smudges on her arm and inquired about them. "What's all that from?"

Phoebe looked at her arm, "Oh, that would be graphite."

"Bit early to be doing homework," he remarked.

"It is," she agreed. "I was drawing."

Klaus thought back to the first time he saw her – when he was still in Rick's body. Phoebe was making decorations for the Decade Dance. Till now he thought that's all it was; after all, they were no great masterpieces she was painting that day. But most people try to wipe away the excess paint when they find it on their arms or hands – she didn't – and they certainly don't stick the paintbrush in their hair, risking paint getting into their hair. But again, she didn't seem to mind that.

"Do you enjoy art?" he asked, seriously.

"The messier, the better. Well, except for charcoal. I suck at using charcoal. It smears too much and just comes out looking like a blackened mess," she answered. "You? No, wait, let me guess. You enjoy looking at it, but not creating it."

There came the dimples again – though this time she noticed them, "On the contrary, love, I quite enjoy making art. I used to make my own paints from various flowers and berries as a boy."

Phoebe narrowed her eyes skeptically, but still found herself smiling. She dug out her sketchbook, flipped to a new page, and passed it to Klaus with a pencil. "Draw me something."

His dimples deepened as he accepted the pencil and paper, "Any requests?"

"Mmmm, something pretty."

Klaus raised his eyebrows at her.

"What? I wanna know what the big bad Klaus finds aesthetically pleasing."

Klaus tore his eyes away from her and began to draw. Phoebe tried leaning in to see, but he pulled it away, "Ah-ah, no peeking, love."

Phoebe's smile grew involuntarily. Once she realized that she was in fact genuinely smiling at him, she turned away to sip her drink. What was even happening?

"So what happened to your daylight ring?" she asked, noticing he was no longer wearing it.

Klaus didn't look away from the sketch he was working on, "I don't need it anymore. My werewolf half protects me from the sun, now."

"But what did you do with it?" Phoebe pressed. "I mean, that thing's an antique; it's over a thousand years old."

"I haven't decided what to do with it yet," he replied, still focused on the sketch. "For a thousand years it's been a ball and chain I could never take off. A constant reminder that I'm incomplete."

Phoebe nodded thoughtfully. She'd always seen daylight rings as a rare gift very few vampires got to have. It had never occurred to her that the vampires wearing them might see them as more of a ball and chain they have to carry around for the rest of eternity – at least the older ones that have grown tired of wearing the same piece of jewelry for the past however many centuries.

"Well, if you do decide to get rid of it – which it sounds like you have – then I recommend donating it to a museum or something. You know, give it to someone who can appreciate its historical significance," said Phoebe.

"I'll keep that in mind." He looked up from his work. "Why the sudden interest in my daylight ring?"

"Not so sudden, actually. I've been interested in daylight rings for a while now."

Klaus gave her an implying look, "Oh?"

"I just find them fascinating – historically speaking," she said. "They each represent the era in which the vampire was turned. Typically. Stefan and Damon have their gotti things from the 1800s, you and Elijah have your smaller ones from medieval times, and Katherine…well, Katherine's looks more modern, but it's still interesting."

Klaus smirked as he tore the page from her book, and returned the supplies.

"I thought that was for me," said Phoebe.

"It is," he replied, rolling it up like a scroll. "But I don't want you to open it until you're home. Promise?"

"How are you going to know?" she challenged.

He held his arms out and sat up straight, "I'm the big bad Klaus. I know everything."

Phoebe gave a light laugh, "Fine. I promise to wait until I get home to look at it."

"Phoebe," Stefan called, reentering the bar. He looked between the two, curious as to why they appeared to be having such a good time. "Damon and Hayley are ready to take you home."

"Right." Phoebe hopped off of her stool. "Can't blame a girl for trying to check in on her best friend, right?"

"I, uh, appreciate the gesture," said Stefan, playing along. "But I think I'll be fine now. You were right about needing to talk to Damon again. Hopefully now he'll stop following us and let me go."

"Let's hope," said Klaus, slipping the scroll into her purse. "Phoebe. It's been a pleasure."

"A one-sided one, I assure you," she retorted – though it was a lie.

Stefan and Klaus both remained where they were, and watched her exit the bar. She rounded the corner and disappeared from their sight. As they sat there watching her, Klaus made one final remark, "I think I'm beginning to understand what you all see in that girl."

Phoebe rode in the backseat of her and Hayley's car with Elena, at least for part of the trip. Sometimes she tried to make her feel better with words, but mostly she just sat there with her, holding her hand. Eventually, Elena laid down to get some sleep, and Phoebe returned to the front seat with Hayley. Unfortunately, with Elena so near, Phoebe couldn't talk to Hayley about her conversation with Klaus, until they got home. And not looking at the drawing he made her was driving her mad – though she wasn't entirely sure why she was keeping her word on this.

Back in Mystic Falls, Caroline gets cleaned up and fed after her long day. Her physical burns heal, but her emotional ones remain. Liz tries explaining that their families were just raised to view vampires as evil things, so he doesn't understand that she's still their baby girl. She encourages Caroline to give her father time and to help him see that not all vampires are bad, like she did for her.

Meanwhile, Klaus checks in on Rebekah. She's already woken up and fed on the security guard Klaus left for her. Klaus looks around and calls for her to come out. She does. She also stabs him in the heart with the dagger that was in hers. Due to his werewolf side, the dagger doesn't work on him – which she knew, but still wanted to hurt him.

Klaus tells her not to pout, and that he's brought a piece offering. He calls Stefan in. Rebekah is ecstatic to see her love again after all this time, but he doesn't seem to be as happy to see her. Klaus explains to his sister that he just doesn't remember her right now, and then compels Stefan to remember all that he told him to forget.

It was all so overwhelming for Stefan for Stefan. Remembering his courtship with Rebekah. His friendship with Klaus. It was a lot to process. Part of him was happy to remember his friend and one time lover; but another part of him recognized that it had been a long time since then. He'd fallen in love again at least once since Rebekah. And speaking of that love, Klaus came to his home town and sacrificed her on an altar of fire, all to break his hybrid curse. He'd ripped him away from his life in Mystic Falls to only now reveal that they were once friends.

Needless to say, Stefan was feeling a plethora of conflicting emotions. In fact he only barely noticed when Rebekah began freaking out about her missing necklace. With all of his memories – or as far as he knew – once again restored, he knew exactly what necklace she was talking about. He couldn't decide if it was good or bad that Elena had it. If they didn't have it, it meant they couldn't ask the Original Witch why Klaus' hybrids weren't working. On the other hand, if they wanted it bad enough – and he strongly suspected they did – then they would go through whatever lengths necessary to get it back; thus leading them straight to Mystic Falls.

When the group got home early the next morning, Elena went straight to bed – either to sleep or pout, no one knew. Damon went home to the Boarding house, where he had another phone conversation with Katherine. Phoebe and Hayley prepared to pass out themselves, with Phoebe's promise to tell her everything that happened between her and Klaus later. But just as she laid her head down and closed her eyes, she remembered the drawing.

Careful not to disturb Hayley, Phoebe grabbed her bag and pulled out the scroll. How was it still in scroll-form after only being rolled the one time, you ask? Well, that was Klaus' other surprise for her. He rolled the drawing so tight, then – when she wasn't looking – slid his old daylight ring onto it to hold it closed.

Phoebe found herself smiling, oddly enough. She hadn't meant for him to give her the ring, but it was still nice. She'd meant what she said about the daylight rings – she found them interesting. She slid the ring off of the paper and onto her right index finger. It was still kind of loose, but then again it was a man's ring.

Not taking long to admire the ring, she unrolled the paper and gazed at Klaus' work. She half-expected a stick figure or something equally simple, but what she found was something far better than she'd ever done herself. The lines and shading were just wonderful. This was definitely a skill developed over time – _**lots**_ of time. Then it hit her. The image she was looking at. The thing Klaus found so aesthetically pleasing to look at…was her.

 


	50. Chapter 50: The Reckoning

Chapter 50: The Reckoning

_"_ _August 30, 2010. Morning._

_It's been a few days since our trip to Chicago. Elena says she's fine, but I doubt it. She just spent the entire summer trying to save Stefan, when he didn't want to be saved. Granted we all tried telling her that Klaus would never allow him to come home until he was finished with him; but hearing that from all of us, and hearing from Stefan that he doesn't_ **want** _to come home are two very different things. Damon says he's just being an insufferable martyr, but I know that's not true. Stefan is just taking my advice._

_Speaking of advice, while I am glad that Stefan took said advice, I am sorry that both he and my sister are hurting. They both needed closure, and Stefan was being worn thin by all the baggage he was trying to carry with him – he needed to cut loose his life here. It was honestly the best thing for him. Well, the best that he could do under these circumstances._

_Stefan hasn't spoken to me much these past few days. I'm not sure if it's because he's upset with me for bringing Elena to him, or if he's just really busy dealing with Klaus and his sister – both of whom apparently knew him back in the twenties. I'm gonna go with that, to be honest. Mostly because I've been to that deep, dark place we call self-pity and I don't wanna go back. Besides, with that history, I'm pretty sure Klaus would have figured out a way to lure Stefan away with him no matter what. Unless I had actually killed him, that is._

_I suppose it's kind of a good thing that Klaus took Stefan away, like he did. Stefan and Elena were never going to last, even if he had stayed in Mystic Falls. Even if I had succeeded in killing Klaus. Those two would have had to break up eventually. Elena wants a normal human life, to grow old and have kids. Stefan can't give her that – as much as he'd like to. And my sister would rather die than become a vampire and spend an eternity with Stefan. So this way they can blame the whole thing on Klaus and never have to acknowledge the ugly truth._

_"_ _August 30, 2010. Night._

_Today was another full, rich day. Cliffnotes version? Caroline's dad is immune to compulsion, like me, and decided to take a more active role in the community – specifically the Founders' Council. He suggested we start putting vervain in the town water supply. Jenna, Hayley, and Rick all agreed it was a good idea. I agreed that the town should be dosed in some way, but not through the water. (Jenna, Damon, and Caroline still needed to use the water for various things; and so would I when I turned)._

_Damon, of course, took it as me not trusting him to behave, and spiraled. I only meant that Caroline and Jenna were still new to this and could slip at any time. Not to mention the fact that vampires tend to frequent this town – less than friendly ones, usually. Damon made the executive decision to kill Bill Forbes for his own self-preservation, and snapped Jenna's neck when she tried to stop him. Rude, right?_

_Anyway, Caroline and I stopped him before he could kill her dad. Afterwhich Damon and I had a pretty big fight. I honestly can't remember what it was about (I guess that's what you get for waiting to take up journaling, until after your memories start to leave you). I just remember it was a pretty bad fight. We normally make up after our fights – once we've had time to cool off – but we didn't do that this time._

_"_ _August 31, 2010. Morning._

_I think Rick's right. The Founders' Council has become less about protecting the town from supernatural threats and more about protecting those of us 'good guys' that are supernatural in some way. Someone needs to be able to walk on that fine line and be able to help both. Someone needs to be able to help protect the innocent people of Mystic Falls from the bad things that go bump in the night, while also helping to keep the rest of us safe._

_I can't do that job myself – though, with my brain, I'd probably be good at it – so I'm nominating the next best person for the job: Rick. He's smart, he understands us and the need to keep the innocent people that live here safe, and, well, I just know he'll do a good job – I believe in him. So I'm giving the Founders' Council my endorsement of Rick to become the new voice for the Gilbert family._

_"_ _August 31, 2010. Night._

_I'm not sure what Damon's been up to. I haven't seen nor heard from him since our fight. But I did hear that Katherine was back in town, briefly. She apparently posed as Elena to get her hands on that stupid necklace – why didn't I think of that? She met with Bonnie for lunch and somehow convinced her to hand it over, then took off. Something tells me we won't be seeing her or that necklace again anytime soon. But that's a problem for another night. Tonight is Senior Prank Night and Caroline is determined for us all to have fun..._ _"_

* * *

It was a calm quiet night in Mystic Falls – a rare thing, nowadays. Most of the town's citizens found this to be a nice and relaxing thing; but for Matt Donovan this was almost more stressful than knowing about whatever latest supernatural threat was looming over them all. The town had been hit so hard with supernatural drama lately, that now that he knew about it all, Matt was finding it hard to relax and enjoy some down time.

Phoebe did what she could to assure her best friend that he'd get used to it and learn to appreciate the lull moments, but Matt wasn't sure he wanted to get used to it. That was when Phoebe would revert back to her old self again and ramble on about the health problems associated with living a stress-filled life. Ironically, those were the moments Matt found most relaxing. For him, in those moments, everything was as it used to be.

Matt smiled at the thought. He enjoyed the time he spent with his best friend. No matter how busy she got, no matter what was going on, she always made time for him. Though, lately, that time had lessened. They no longer went on their morning runs. If they were going to hang out, Hayley always had to be nearby. Matt wasn't sure why this was, but he guessed it had something to do with not knowing anyone else to hang out with.

As for their morning runs, Matt assumed that just had to do with the changes her family was going through. Her aunt was a vampire now, still learning to control her impulses. Her little brother had lost the girl he loved. And Phoebe and Elena had lost their father. Even if Elena wasn't all that broken up about it – which she did grieve for John – that still left Phoebe completely devastated. John was her favorite person. Phoebe loved John more than anyone else in her life, and now...he was gone...

Matt pushed these dark thoughts from his mind and cleared his throat, "So why are we doing this, again?"

"Because if we don't, Caroline will never let us forget it." Phoebe sighed. "That, and we're already here, so it's definitely too late to turn back, now."

"Yeah, there is that," he agreed, with a smile. He honestly didn't feel like joining in Senior Prank Night, but this was one of the rare times that Phoebe was without her werewolf shadow, so he intended to take advantage of it. "After you."

Phoebe looked up at the high school, also not wanting to be here – but what else was new for her? She sucked in a deep breath of cool night air, and headed into the building. Tonight was supposed to be a night of harmless pranks for the faculty and staff to set off tomorrow...but that's not the night that lay in store for the students of Mystic Falls High...

* * *

For the next hour or so, Phoebe helped set up pranks with her friends and fellow seniors – no matter how stupid they seemed. To be honest, most of the things they were all coming up with made no sense. Streaming toilet paper over the swimming pool, wrapping cellophane around the faculty toilets, pouring honey on doorknobs, setting up dozens of mousetraps across classroom floors to go off like dominoes when someone entered. All pretty lame ideas, in Phoebe's opinion.

Where was the cleverness? Where was the point in some of these pranks? Why not do something like remove all the screws holding the teacher's desk together, piece it together very carefully, and when they came in to put something on it, it falls apart? Why not do nothing to one teacher so they were left wondering when and where their prank was going to hit? The shear anticipation and paranoia would be prank enough.

Phoebe would have suggested these kinds of things, but two things held her back. For one thing, the simple-minded people she went to school with wouldn't go for it – they'd rather fill disposable cups with some kind of liquid and cover the gym floor with them. And secondly, she'd be doing her schoolwork from home again this year, so she wouldn't even be in class to witness the pranks in action.

After finishing her latest prank set-up, Phoebe headed off to find her other half. The twins had plans to prank Alaric's class together, despite Phoebe not being around to see him set it off or walk around trying to figure out what they had done – though Elena promised to video it on her phone for her. Surprisingly, Phoebe was looking forward to this. Like Matt, she hadn't really spent much alone time with her sister lately, and she was looking forward to some bonding time with her twin.

Phoebe smiled to herself as she passed through a set of double doors. She glanced down one hallway, before turning down the other, and running right into another person. "Oh! Sorry, I wasn't watching where I..."

She never finished her thought. Like her breath, it left her entirely at the sight of Klaus standing before her, grinning away. But this wasn't his usual grin. This wasn't an amused grin. This was the kind of grin you donned whenever you weren't very happy about something, but were trying to be polite for some reason.

"That's quite alright, love. No harm done," he told her.

"Klaus. Wh-What are you doing here?" Phoebe asked, surprised to see him.

"Funny you should ask. You see, I've been having some trouble siring hybrids," he began.

"Oh?"

"I tried asking my witch what I was doing wrong, but before she could tell me, Stefan killed her," he went on.

"That's a shame."

"I'm guessing it was because Gloria mentioned something about you having my sister's necklace, which we need to contact the Original Witch."

Phoebe said nothing.

"Which got me thinking. Why would you steal my sister's necklace? What use could you possibly have for it? To keep it from me? No. You couldn't have known that was what I needed before I even knew I needed it." Klaus took a step closer to Phoebe. "But you know, that's not half as interesting as my other question."

Phoebe was almost afraid to ask, but still she asked, "And what would that be?"

Klaus' expression grew dark, all form of niceness vanishing from his face entirely. "What are you and Stefan hiding from me?"

* * *

Damon grew more and more annoyed with Katherine as they drove further and further away from Mystic Falls. Her unwanted, platonic sexual advances were one thing – he could easily swat her away, like a fly buzzing in your ear– but her constant tight-lip about where they were going and what they were up to was incredibly frustrating.

He had to admit, if things were the other way around, he'd be just as secretive about his plans; but he wanted, **_needed_** , to get back to Mystic Falls. Damon hadn't had the chance to tell Phoebe that he was leaving much less why and he was afraid she'd think he was leaving her. The thought of her believing that for even a second was enough to put his insides in a knot.

That was it. No more playing around, no more games. They'd passed a sign a little ways back that said they were getting close to a rest stop. Damon sped up, ignoring Katherine's questioning of his actions, and whipped the car into the rest stop. She stared at him in surprise, as he grabbed the keys and exited the car.

"What are you doing?" she questioned once again, stepping out herself.

"No more games, Katherine. No more avoiding," he told her, tossing the keys far off into the distance. "We're not going anywhere, until you spill your guts."

Katherine sighed, pulling Elena's necklace out of her pocket and held it up, "Recognize this?"

Damon looked at the necklace. Of course he recognized it. But what the hell did that have to do with them leaving town? And why did she have it?

"A little birdy told me that Klaus is looking to get his hands on it," she explained, as though reading his mind.

"What does Klaus want with Elena's necklace?"

"Does it matter?" Katherine looked at him as though that were the dumbest question she'd ever heard. "He wants it, and I have it. It's called leverage, Damon. But more importantly, when I stole the necklace from Bonnie I found out something else, something better."

Damon watched her walk around the car to the trunk, hoping she hadn't kidnapped Bonnie or anything like that.

"Are you willing to do whatever it takes to stop Klaus? No turning back?" she asked.

"I'm not turning back," he lied. Of course he was gonna turn back. He needed to get back to Phoebe, before she changed her mind about them.

"Good." Katherine seemed to believe his lie. She opened the trunk door, and waited for him to come see what she had. "Cause this isn't gonna win you any points at home."

Damon had a bad feeling about whatever it was she had in there. But as nervous as he was about it being Bonnie, once he saw what was really in there, he'd almost wished it had been the witch. "Jeremy?"

* * *

"I don't know what you're talking about," Phoebe lied. Weak. Very weak. Hayley was right, she'd definitely have to work on using her brain again.

Klaus looked unamused, "Wrong answer."

Klaus grabbed her by the arm and began dragging her through the halls of the high school, looking down every corridor they came across. It wasn't hard enough to hurt her, but it was enough so that she couldn't get away – unless she used her powers on him.

"Where are we going?" Phoebe asked.

"You put a rather large kink in my plans, sweetheart. The whole point of breaking the curse and becoming a hybrid was to make more hybrids.," he began.

"Funny. I thought it was because you wanted to feel whole again," she mumbled sarcastically.

Klaus heard her, and it was true, but he didn't comment on it. "You and Stefan are hiding something from me, and I betting you aren't going to let it get too far from you, which means it has to be here somewhere."

"And what exactly are you hoping to find?"

Klaus gave a light smirk, "I have a theory."

"Care to share?"she asked. They were approaching the gym, now – it was gonna be full of innocent people, which made Phoebe nervous.

"Not until I know I'm right." Klaus turned to face her, ramming his hip against the gym door to open it. He pulled her in and wrapped his arms around her waist, as they spun inside the room. It only lasted a moment, and she'd deny it if anyone ever asked – even to herself – but being held against him like that, with their faces as close as they were, felt oddly good.

His cologne, body spray, body wash, whatever it was he was wearing smelled good. The closeness felt good. The sound of his breathing in her ear...It had been a while since Damon had held her like this, and Phoebe's body had apparently craved it more than she'd realized.

Klaus too had apparently longed for the sense of closeness, for in that moment he forgot about the rest of the world. All he thought about was having her in his arms. The warmness of her body pressed against him, the sweet smell of her hair, the feel of her breath against his skin...Whatever fondness he'd already had for her grew in that moment, however brief it was.

The seniors in the gym were busy setting up disposable cups all across the floor and filling them with some kind of beverage – they didn't even notice Klaus or Phoebe entering the room, until Klaus announced their presence.

"Attention seniors," he announced in an American accent. "You have officially been busted. Prank Night is over. Head on home."

Phoebe gave him a funny look, "That accent does **_not_** work for you."

Klaus acknowledged her remark with a smirk. "You two." He pointed to Dana and Chad. "I remember you."

They, of course, did not remember him – he last time he had used them, he was possessing Rick's body. Klaus compelled Dana to stand on one leg until he said otherwise, then compelled Chad to beat her to death, if she dropped her foot.

"Klaus, stop it. You don't have to hurt anyone," Phoebe pleaded.

"Come now, love, of course I do," he argued. "How else am I to get you to tell me what I want to know?"

* * *

Caroline squeezed honey from a bottle onto the doorknob of one of the classrooms, as she wondered about Matt. Tyler came up behind her and began kissing her all over. She smiled at his touch, but didn't want to get lost in the moment just yet.

"Do you think Matt's gonna be okay?" she asked him.

Tyler stopped kissing her abruptly, "I'm kissing you and you're wondering about your ex-boyfriend?"

Caroline turned around to face him, capping the honey. "I'm asking you if you think our friend, who we both love, is okay."

"I think he probably doesn't have a lot of people to talk to anymore. I think he's struggling more than he lets on," he answered honestly. "But I **_know_** that as long as he's got Phoebe in his life, he'll be okay."

That made Caroline feel a bit better. Of course she knew Phoebe would always be there for Matt, but hearing it still made her feel a bit better about it all. "I just want this school year to be great, you know? I just want everyone to be happy. Even in the midst of all the crazy unhappy bits."

"I'm happy." He lowered himself so she could see how happy he was, even with her eyes looking down to the floor. Caroline smiled again, and she kissed him.

"You two are adorable," came a strange, female voice, with an English accent.

The two stopped and turned to the source of the new voice. It was a young blonde, likely in her late teens like they were. But neither of them had ever seen her before, and they surely would have remembered that accent.

"Uh, do we know you?" Caroline asked.

"You're Caroline, Phoebe's friend. Which makes you Tyler – the werewolf," the blonde replied.

Caroline didn't like the feeling she was getting in her gut. She moved to take a protective stance between the strange blonde and Tyler. "And who are you?"

"I'm the new girl." The blonde smiled, then charged at Caroline.

* * *

Dana's balance wavered, and she let out a whimper. Phoebe wanted to tell them that Klaus never said Chad couldn't help her stand like that, that he couldn't help hold her up; but with Klaus standing right next to her, he'd likely just add that to the compulsion.

As Phoebe thought about this, her worst fear of that moment came to life: Elena entered from the other side of the gym. All three of them were momentarily surprised to see each other. Elena turned to run away, but Klaus was faster. By the time she'd turned around, he was standing in front of her.

"Don't!" Phoebe called, running after him. "She's not the reason you can't make hybrids!"

Klaus kept his eyes on Elena, and said nothing. Something told him that this wasn't true – surely his hybrids couldn't transition because she was still alive. And whatever Phoebe had to say on the matter was surely a lie to buy her sister more time. Still, she was smart – she'd proven that – and he'd be an idiot not to at least hear what she had to say and decide from there.

Klaus signaled Phoebe to continue her thought, with a mere glance in her direction.

"Elena had to die for you to become a hybrid, and technically she did die. If she hadn't, you wouldn't be a hybrid yourself," Phoebe explained. "If her coming back to life was going to affect anything, it'd be that. There has to be another reason why you can't sire more."

Her logic was sound – clearly not a quickly spun together lie – so Klaus backed away from Elena to signal that he was willing to forgo killing her...for now. There was still the possibility that because Elena hadn't stayed dead, his hybrids couldn't stay alive; but he was willing to be smart about this and find the right answer.

The doors back on the other side of the gym opened with a bang, as a young blonde entered the room, dragging Tyler in her wake.

"Excellent," said Klaus. "Now we can get started."

"Started with what?"

Klaus didn't answer. He simply grabbed Elena's arm and pulled her along to meet the blonde halfway.

"I'd like you all to meet my sister Rebekah," he introduced. "Word of warning she can be quite mean."

"Don't be an ass," Rebekah sniped.

"Tyler has nothing to do with this," said Elena. "Leave him out of it."

"On the contrary, love, he's your sister's motivation," he replied.

The twins shared a look of confusion. "My what?"

"I'm gonna make this very simple." Klaus took hold of Tyler and pulled him a few paces away from the others. "Every time I attempt to turn a werewolf into a vampire-hybrid, they die during the transition. It's quite horrible, actually."

"Don't do this," Phoebe pleaded, catching on.

"I need you to find a way to save my hybrids, Phoebe."

Phoebe tried summoning the will to knock him back on his ass, but she'd been stupid enough to turn her back on Rebekah. Within seconds, Rebekah had Phoebe's arms pinned, and Klaus had force fed Tyler his blood.

"And for Tyler's sake." The sound of Tyler's neck snapping was almost deafening. "...you better hurry."

* * *

Bonnie let out a light giggle as she tossed another roll of toilet paper over the swimming pool. She, like all of her friends, didn't want to be here either; but Caroline had made such a good motivational speech to them all that she was trying to embrace Caroline's philosophy and have a good time. And as far as she could tell, it was working. She hadn't thought about Jeremy seeing his dead girlfriends all summer – despite the fact that they had grown pretty close themselves – for several minutes.

Matt, on the other hand, didn't even seem to be trying. He threw toilet paper and did other stupid pranks that were asked of him, and would continue to do so. But truth be told, his heart wasn't in this even in the slightest. Potential threats lurking around the corner aside, Jeremy telling him about Vicki had reopened some wounds for him.

He had never gotten to say goodbye to his sister. Never gotten to know the truth about her death. And to know that his best friend was in love with the guy that had turned her into a monster out of boredom, and friends with the other guy that had killed her...Matt wasn't entirely sure how he felt about all that yet. He wasn't angry with Phoebe – she was a good person and you couldn't help who you loved – but he still questioned how she could love such a monster. What could she possibly see in him?

Matt was torn from his thoughts by the sound of Bonnie's phone ringing. It was Phoebe – speak of the devil. But there was something wrong. Not only was it evident on Bonnie's face, but even without being put on speaker phone, Matt could hear the unnerved tone in his best friends voice. It was subtle, and only those who really knew her would be able to pick up on it, but it was there.

Phoebe gave Bonnie the cliffnotes version of what had just gone down in the gym, never slowing down or waiting for her to react – Tyler was on limited time. "I need you to go home and look through your grimoires or something. See if you can find anything."

"Right." Bonnie returned her phone to her pocket. "Klaus is back. He-"

"I heard," said Matt, cutting her off. "I wanna help."

Bonnie shook her head, still shocked by the news Phoebe had just dropped on her. "I supposed I could use another set of eyes looking through my grimoires..."

"What about Jeremy?" he suggested.

"What about him?"

"Well, ever since you brought him back he's been seein'...things. He's been seein' some weird things," he replied. He was trying to convey how he thought Jeremy might be of help, without hurting Bonnie's feelings – they all knew how close the two had gotten this summer and didn't want to tell her if she didn't already know.

Bonnie gave him a look that said he didn't need to lie to protect her, but that she appreciated it, "I know he's been seeing Vicki. And Anna. "

Matt gave a sigh of relief, but didn't dwell on the matter. "Okay, so Phoebe said this witch has been dead for a thousand years. I know it may be a long shot, but if Jeremy can see dead people, then maybe he can talk to her."

"It's worth a shot," she shrugged. "You go find Jeremy and see if he can contact her. I'm gonna get started on my grimoires."

* * *

Damon placed Jeremy's still unconscious body onto one of the nearby picnic tables. "I'm listening," was all he said to Katherine.

"What if I told you there was a way to kill Klaus, without having to let your precious Phoebe lose control like she did before?"

"I'd say you were lying, or desperate," he replied. She had to be lying. Phoebe was created for this reason alone – to kill Klaus. Still, **_if_** there was some other option, he had to look into it. He just didn't want to seem too eager in front of Katherine.

Katherine rolled her eyes, "Do you remember my friend Pearl?"

"Vividly."

"Centuries ago, she told me about a vampire who had a way to kill Klaus, but she wouldn't tell me anymore."

"Well, why not?" he asked sarcastically. He suspected it was for leverage, but didn't want to assume.

"Because it was her leverage," Katherine confirmed. "She knew it was valuable information, and wouldn't share it with me."

"Well, this is all great, but…she's dead," Damon reminded her, growing more irritated.

"Which is why I never brought it up," she snarked back. "She only ever told one other person."

Damon thought for a moment. "Anna."

Katherine nodded, "Unfortunately, she's dead now, too, but Jeremy here can see supernatural ghosties."

A fresh wave of annoyance and anger came crashing over Damon. "Why the hell didn't you say anything about this the first time around? Why didn't Anna?"

"I never said anything, because I didn't care. I still don't," she answered honestly. "But it's clear now that she isn't willing to do what it takes to kill Klaus; and, even if she were, you aren't going to let her try again. So I give you option B."

They both turned to look at Jeremy. He was starting to wake up.

* * *

Stefan woke up in the back of the truck with an awful headache. Klaus had been snapping his neck on a loop since they left Chicago. Where were they now? Stefan stepped out of the truck, and his blood ran cold. They were back in Mystic Falls. How long had he been out? Was there still time to stop Klaus from finding out about Elena?

He took out his phone to call Phoebe, but there was a message from Klaus waiting for him. "Join us in the gym when you wake up." That didn't bode well. But maybe there was still a chance. Maybe Elena wasn't here. Maybe he still didn't know she was still alive. But then what about Phoebe?

If Klaus was comfortable enough to wait for Stefan to wake up and join him somewhere, Phoebe couldn't have defeated him. Could she be dead? Had Klaus somehow gotten the upper hand and killed her? The thought made Stefan's stomach lurch. He couldn't think like that. Nothing was definite, until he saw it with his own eyes.

When Stefan entered the gym Klaus was sitting patiently in the bleachers, watching Phoebe. He was trying to figure out why she hadn't used her powers to attack him yet. Phoebe was pacing lightly on the other side of the gym, trying to figure out what Klaus wanted to know. Elena sat on the ground next to Dana and Chad, trying to comfort a hysterical Dana.

Stefan wasn't happy to see Elena there, only because that meant Klaus now knew about her being alive, but he was happy to see that both twins were still alive…for now. He pretended not to care that they were there, even though they both stopped what they were doing to stare at him, and headed straight for Klaus.

"Come to save your damsel, mate?" Klaus asked him, only now taking his eyes off of Phoebe.

"I came to ask for your forgiveness." Stefan struggled not to look at either Gilbert. "And pledge my loyalty."

Klaus looked back at Phoebe, who was moving to stop her sister from approaching the two vampires. "Well, you broke that pledge once already."

"Elena means nothing to me, anymore," Stefan lied.

Elena felt a sharp pain in her chest at the words. Phoebe wished she could explain to her that this was simply a lie to win Klaus' trust back, but there was no way that she could.

"Whatever you ask of me, I will do," Stefan vowed.

Klaus didn't believe him for an instant. Still, this was a good opportunity to test both Stefan and Phoebe. Klaus grinned slightly and rose to his feet, "Fair enough. Let's drink on it."

They all watched him carefully, as he walked over to where the humans were all gathered. He gestured to the two expendable ones, and commanded, "Kill them."

Phoebe and Stefan knew this was just a test, and that he'd have to kill them to prove to Klaus that he was indeed loyal. But Elena didn't seem to understand that, or rather she didn't care. Instead of keeping her mouth shut and letting Stefan commit such an atrocity, she spoke up.

"No," she breathed. When she spoke again, her voice was more audible. "Stefan, don't. H-He's not gonna hurt me, he already said-"

Her thought was cut off instantly by Klaus' hand smacking her across the mouth – the sheer force of which knocked her on her ass. He wasn't overly annoyed with her or angry – it wasn't personal. This was just the opportunity he had been thinking of only moments ago. By hurting Elena he would be testing Stefan's resolve when he claimed not to care about Elena anymore, while also pushing Phoebe's limits.

Phoebe only ran to her sister's side to make sure she was alright, but Stefan charged angrily at Klaus. It didn't really do much good; Klaus caught him by the throat before he could lay a finger on him.

"She means nothing to you," Klaus quoted. "Your lies just keep piling up."

"Let them go," Stefan choked. "I'll do whatever you want. You have my word."

"Your word doesn't mean much. Now, I lived by your word all summer, during which time I never had to resort to this…" He looked Stefan in the eye. "Stop fighting."

"Don't do this. Don't do this," Stefan begged.

"I don't want to," Klaus admitted. "All I wanted was your allegiance. Now I'm going to have to take it."

Stefan still begged, "Don't…don't…"

"You will do exactly as I say when I say it," Klaus commanded. "You will not run, you will not hide, you will simply just obey." Klaus released Stefan as the compulsion took hold.

"No," Elena whispered. "Stefan."

Phoebe wanted to do something to help him, but couldn't. For some reason, every fear and every insecurity she'd ever had about her ability to stand up to Klaus came flooding back tenfold. Her hands were starting to shake, and she felt as though someone had released a dementor into the gym.

She wasn't an emotional person, everyone knew that, but something about Klaus being back and terrorizing everyone again made her feel helpless, like she had no powers to fight him with. She'd allowed herself to be restrained by Rebekah earlier, and now she was allowing herself to be paralyzed by her fears instead of fighting to help the people she loved.

"Now kill them," Klaus ordered. "Ripper."

Stefan unveiled his vampire face as he stared down his prey. No longer being allowed to fight, he charged forward, sinking his teeth into Dana. Her screams echoed throughout the gym, and Phoebe found herself covering her ears.

* * *

"I'm not helping them," said Anna appearing to Jeremy.

"No, it's okay. They're looking for a way to stop Klaus," Jeremy assured her. Katherine and Damon looked at him funny – it was odd seeing someone talking to themselves like that.

"I don't care. Katherine is no friend to you," Anna advised.

"What's she saying?" Damon asked.

Jeremy waved a hand at him dismissively. "Is there a reason you don't wanna help Phoebe? After everything she's done for you?"

Anna looked appalled that he could even think she'd purposely not want to help Phoebe. "Of course I wanna help Phoebe, she saved my life…She gave me more time with you."

"Then why didn't you ever tell us there was another way to kill Klaus?" Jeremy questioned.

"Because Mikael will kill all of you." she warned. "Trust me, you don't wanna wake him."

Jeremy was confused. "What do you mean 'wake him'?"

"Wake who?" Katherine asked.

"Mikael," Jeremy answered. He didn't even bother to look at her.

"Who's Mikael?" Damon asked Anna, though he couldn't see or hear her.

"He's a vampire who hunts vampires," Anna told Jeremy.

"He's a vampire and a hunter, and you guys would be idiots to wake him, pretty much." He looked back at Anna. "Where can we find him?"

"Jeremy," she began.

"Look, you don't know what happened when my sister tried to kill him last time. She was almost consumed by all that power, so if there's another option, I'm gonna take it," Jeremy interrupted. "Where do we find Mikael?"

Anna was reluctant, but after all Phoebe had done for her, all the sacrifices she'd made for everyone, she owed it to her to help. She told Jeremy where to find Mikael, while Damon fetched the keys.

* * *

Rebekah sat in the hallway, absolutely bored, as she waited for, well, anything to happen. Caroline was still unconscious from having her neck snapped, and Tyler had yet to wake up in transition. This left Rebekah with absolutely nothing to do, other than play with Caroline's phone.

She familiarized herself with its basic functions first – something she picked up rather quickly, given how long she'd been asleep in that box – then moved on to taking pictures of herself. This would do, for now.

"Where's Tyler?" Caroline groaned, waking up.

"He's dead...ish," Rebekah replied coolly. "That all depends on your friends."

Caroline rolled onto her hands and knees, and crawled over to her temporarily dead boyfriend. This was not how tonight was supposed to go. They were all supposed to have fun. They were supposed to set up a bunch of stupid pranks for the faculty and staff to set off on the first day of school. No one was supposed to die. How did the night go so wrong?

Growing bored of taking photos of herself – no matter how good she looked in them – Rebekah moved on to looking through all the photos she'd taken, admiring herself as she did. When she eventually began scrolling past them into Caroline's photos, she found one of Stefan with Elena. Jealousy flared within her, and she suddenly felt the need to vomit at the sight. Unfortunately, before she could move onto the next photo – which was surely to be equally nauseating – something caught her eye: Elena was wearing her necklace.

* * *

"Always nice to see a vampire in his true element," Klaus remarked. "The species has become such a broody lot."

"No...you did this to him," Elena replied through clenched teeth.

Klaus smiled. "I invited him to the party, love, he's the one dancing on the table."

Meanwhile, Phoebe paced the floor trying to think of what Klaus could possibly need to make hybrids. Trying being the operative word. He'd wanted her help in figuring it all out, yet one thing after another continued to happen and distract her from her...

"Where is it?!" Rebekah called, barging into the room.

_"_ _Great. Another distraction,_ _"_ Phoebe thought to herself, rolling her eyes.

Even Klaus looked annoyed. "What are you talking about?"

"She has my necklace," she answered, shoving Caroline's phone in his face. Klaus examined the photo of Stefan and Elena. "First you steal my brother's ring, and now you steal my necklace."

"I don't have your necklace," Phoebe replied.

"Liar!" Rebekah moved to attack her, but Klaus stopped her.

"Back off," Klaus ordered, pushing her away from the twins.

"Make her tell me where it is, Nick!" she demanded.

"She didn't steal it, Rebekah, look at the date on the photograph." Klaus held up the phone so she could see the date stamp on the photo. "That was long before she was ever in Chicago."

Rebekah seemed to buy this, for now, but she was still clearly unhappy that Elena had been wearing her necklace.

"And for the record, no one stole my ring. I gave it to her, because I had no further use of it," he corrected her. Klaus turned to Elena now, calmer. "Where's the necklace, love?"

"Katherine stole it," Elena explained. "I realize that sounds very convenient given the circumstances but it's true."

Klaus cast a look towards Phoebe for confirmation. She seemed aware of this information, so it was clearly not something Elena had just made up on the spot and trusted her sister to go along with.

"Well, this is unfortunate. If we had the necklace, it would make things a whole lot easier, but since that's no longer an option, I suppose we're just gonna have to do this the hard way." He pointed up at the scoreboard. "Let's put a clock on it, shall we?"

"I thought we already had a clock on it?" Phoebe called, as he walked away to find the controls.

A timer for twenty minutes appeared on the scoreboard, then Klaus marched up to Stefan to give him further orders. "Twenty minutes! If Phoebe hasn't found a solution by then, I want you to feed again, only this time I want you to feed on Elena."

"What? No," Phoebe protested.

"Don't do this to him," Elena pleaded.

"No one leaves. She tries to run, I want you to fracture her spine," Klaus commanded.

_"_ _Okay, th...this isn't so bad. You'll be here to help them find some kind of loophole,_ _"_ Phoebe thought to herself. _"_ _At worst, he'll have to feed on her a little bit, but you'll be here to-_ _"_

Klaus picked Phoebe up and tossed her over his shoulder.

"Klaus, what are you doing?!" Phoebe questioned in surprise.

Klaus ignored her struggles to get free, and continued to carry her out of the gym with him. "It's time you stop being distracted by everything, and focused on finding me an answer."

Phoebe propped herself up enough to look at her sister's terrified face, and then Stefan – he looked afraid. Phoebe wouldn't be here to stop him from killing Elena, or to help him find a loophole in Klaus' compulsion, and he didn't feel strong enough to get through this without her.

"You can do this, Stefan!" Phoebe called as they neared the door. Klaus would undoubtedly use her words of confidence as further evidence that she was somehow in love with Stefan and not Damon, but she didn't care about that right now. "Find your strength, your will to resist, and fight it. I know you can do it!"

Her last was cut off by the door closing behind them.

* * *

Klaus didn't put Phoebe down until they were a good ways away from the gym, and even then he kept hold of her arm so she couldn't go running back – not that she'd make it very far, even if she could run. Phoebe took out her cell phone and Klaus snatched it from her almost instantly.

"Ah, ah, ah, no cheating, love."

"I was just going to call Bonnie to see if she's had any luck, yet," Phoebe protested, reaching for her phone. It was the truth. Her brain was too unfocused, too all over, to think clearly enough to figure out a loophole right now. Even if she had managed to think of one and get word to Stefan, Klaus would have fixed that before you could say supercalafragalisticexpialadoseous.

Klaus studied her for a moment, and having decided she was telling the truth, he called Bonnie on her phone and put it on speaker.

Bonnie answered the phone reluctantly, "Hello."

"Please tell me you've found something." Phoebe's voice was less optimistic and more pleading.

"Phoebe…I'm sorry…my grimoires just don't go back that far."

Phoebe shot forward automatically, her hands latching onto the arm of the hand Klaus held the phone in. "There has to be something else you can do. What about all those dead witches? They have to know the answer he needs."

"They won't talk to me anymore. Not after I brought Jeremy back to life," Bonnie argued. "And they sure as hell aren't gonna tell me how to help Klaus make hybrids."

She was right. There was no way the 'protectors of nature' would help an 'abomination of nature' how to make more 'abominations'. Klaus, sensing the conversation was over, reached his thumb over to hit the 'end' button; but he didn't reclaim his arm from Phoebe, who was frozen in place.

How could she let this happen? How could she let this monster live, only to have him come back a few months later and terrorize them all over again? How could she let him leave town with Stefan, her friend, and not even try to help him?

_"_ _Because you were busy feeling sorry for yourself,"_ she answered in her head. _"Because instead of thinking logically and doing what was necessary to protect the people you love, you thought only of Elijah. You let your feelings for him cloud your judgment and told him not to kill Klaus. You told him to spare his brother. And now he's lying in a box somewhere with a dagger in his heart, while everyone else pays the price for your mistakes."_

Her stomach began to churn, and her mouth went dry. Klaus eyed her suspiciously, noting that her hands still gripping his arm were beginning to shake.

Rebekah looked at Phoebe as though she had suddenly broken out in an Irish jig for no reason. "What is she doing?"

Klaus ignored his sister. Instead he focused his hearing on Phoebe's insides. Her heart was racing a lot faster than just her normal nervousness, and her breathing sounded like someone was strangling her.

"She's having a panic attack," he announced, his eyes still glued to her face.

Klaus brought his free hand up to grab her phone and put it in his pocket – he now had both hands free to help her. He wanted to tell her to look at him and focus on his face – he'd read and found from experience that focusing on something in detail often helped break you out of your dread-filled thoughts, but he knew his actions were the reasons for her current state so looking at him wasn't the best of ideas for helping her. He looked around and saw a corkboard down the hall a ways. He could see it fine, personally, but it was too far for her to see clearly from here.

He maneuvered around her, scooped her up in his arms, and flitted her down the hall. Klaus set her down, facing the board. "Look at the corkboard and tell me what you see."

Phoebe stared in the direction of the board, but not at it. She was so dazed; she hadn't even noticed that they'd moved.

"Look at the corkboard, Phoebe," Klaus repeated in a more commanding tone. "What do you see?"

Phoebe fought to suppress the horrible thoughts in her head, and struggled to keep from sinking into the same zombie-like state she'd gone into when she found out that she had not gotten her hereditary condition from her mother's side of the family.

"Fight, Phoebe," came a familiar voice. "You can do this. Don't quit, now. Your sister needs you."

Realization hit Phoebe hard, as it dawned on her whose voice she was hearing: It was Isobel's. But how could that be? Isobel was dead and Jeremy was the one that could talk to ghosts, not her. Could her powers have something to do with it? There was that whole hypersensitivity thing she'd unintentionally used to sense Luka when he'd astral projected into her room to steal the moonstone from her. Maybe that's how she was hearing Isobel now? Then again, she could just be imagining things.

Phoebe's focus on whether or not hearing her mother's voice was all in her head or not did a lot to ease her panic. It wasn't exactly what Klaus had in mind, not that he knew what was going through her head, but it did the trick. Phoebe's breathing was regulating, and her heart was slowing to a normal pace and rhythm.

"Phoebe," came her name again. It was Klaus' voice this time.

She pulled herself out of her thoughts, and looked up at him to let him know she was coherent again. It was a bit like pulling yourself out of the pool after swimming in it for hours. The full weight of your body hitting you all of the sudden as you try to climb your way out of the water.

An idea hit her as she thought about that particular analogy. "The pool," she whispered. Her eyes darted over to the cork board. There was a flyer for the swim team.

Klaus watched a grin spread across her lips. This was certainly an odd turn of events.

"Come on. I've got an idea of how we can find your answer." She yanked him along after her, as she almost ran towards their indoor swimming pool.

* * *

"Not five minutes ago you were having a panic attack," Klaus reminded, following her as she went. "And now you want me to hold you under water until you stop breathing?"

"Not want, **_need_** ," Phoebe corrected. "I need a vampire to hold me under so I know I can't get away. And it has to be you or your sister that does it, because no one else would ever agree to this."

"And what makes you so sure I'll agree to this idiotic plan of yours?"

"Because you want your answer and this is the only way you're going to get it." She pushed through the double doors leading to the swimming pool.

"Why you?" Klaus challenged. He did his best to hide the concern in his voice, and on a better day Phoebe might have noticed it, but today she was too preoccupied. "Why can't someone else do this?"

"Because I've seen the witch you need to talk to. I spoke to her earlier this year when I died saving Damon from a fire," she answered, kicking off her shoes. "She looked like she was from an old Viking era, and Elijah said you guys were from an old Viking era. Two plus two."

Klaus rolled his eyes, "At least let me give you some of my blood first, that way I know you'll come back."

Now that one didn't escape her notice. Phoebe furrowed her eyebrows at him in confusion.

"With my blood, there's a guarantee that you'll come back with an answer." He gestured to the pool before them. "And snapping your neck is surely a better way to die than drowning."

Phoebe had to admit this was a tempting offer. A quick snap of the neck was a better way to go than slowly drowning to death. And she had been planning to become a vampire, maybe this was her way to do that. She could say that she died saving her sister's life and her friend's sanity, but at least she came back? There would be no debate, no one outright refusing to let her turn, no one refusing to sire her. This was a golden opportunity.

But aside from them all deserving the chance to come to terms with her decision, without it being forced on them, there was one other problem. "We can't be sure I'll go to the same place. When a vampire waits to wake up in transition, there's no guarantee they go to the same place we supernatural things go when we die." That felt weird to say. "If I did that and didn't even see her, it'd be a waste. This would have been for nothing."

Klaus didn't like it – he didn't like it one bit. But she had a point, as usual, and he was more concerned with finding his answer than her life. Yet still, there was some level of concern for her safety, and he wasn't sure why.

Klaus gave a reluctant nod, "What do you need me to do?"

Keeping in mind that Stefan and Elena were still on a timer, Phoebe gave Klaus a quick rundown of how to perform CPR. She reminded, even after setting a timer on her phone, to only wait three minutes before trying to resuscitate her. She probably should have mentioned her weakened lungs, but then he might've insisted on finding another way to contact the witch, and there was no other way.

She removed her glasses, and hopped into the pool with the hybrid. They waded further out from the wall – to avoid hitting Phoebe's head, or give her something to grab onto – and got into position.

Phoebe closed her eyes and breathed in deeply, feeling the true depth of her lungs. As she exhaled slowly, she lay back on the cool water, eyes still closed. The water filled her ears, and she could hear the sound of her heart beating wildly. Most people found floating on their backs quite relaxing, but Phoebe doubted she ever would again – provided she survived this.

Klaus let her float there like that for a moment, watching her, before he slid an arm under her to cradle her like a child. He placed his other hand flatly on her chest. He waited for her to exhale again, then plunged her under the water – the less air in her lungs to hold onto, the quicker this would go. Instinctively, Phoebe's hands shot up to grab Klaus' arm, and her face scrunched up as though it would somehow allow her to hold out longer.

For a moment it wasn't so bad. Then again, it never is. Aside from the water already making its way up her nose, she was holding her breath rather well. But that wasn't the point of this. The point of this was to lose her breath. But instinct overcame mind in these matters. Steadily, Phoebe began to feel the need to breathe, and her grip on Klaus tightened. That was what reminded her of her purpose here. To drown. Not to survive. To die.

Her lips parted and she sucked in the chlorine-treated water. This came as a surprise to her lungs, which had been expecting air, rather than the cold burn of pool water. Phoebe's body tried exchanging the one element for the other; but the more she tried to cough up the water, the more water seeped in. Her hands clawed at Klaus' arm, trying to get him to release her – survival instincts at it again. Klaus winced at the pain, but never faltered.

A moment or two later and everything was calm once more. Phoebe's muscles relaxed and she stopped fighting. Then everything faded to black. Klaus listened to her heart steadily grow weaker...weaker...weaker...and stop...Phoebe Gilbert was dead...

* * *

"So how come you didn't wanna go to Senior Prank Night with Phoebe?" Jenna asked, setting up the sundae assembly line on the island in the kitchen.

Hayley grabbed her bowl and began scooping ice cream into it, "I just didn't see the point. I don't go to that school, and half the pranks people tend to come up with for that crap aren't even good." She licked ice cream off her fingers, before moving onto the toppings. "Besides, Phoebe wanted some time with Matt tonight."

"Yeah, they haven't spent much time together, lately," Jenna noted, tending to her own sundae. She eyed Hayley out of the corner of her eye. "But you two seem to be joined at the hip. Every time I see Phoebe, you're always close by...Something going on there?"

"No. Nothing going on," she replied, unaware of what she was implying.

Jenna was suspicious of her behavior. "It's okay if there is. I mean, I'll love Phoebe no matter what, and you're already like family. And honestly, you'd be better for her than Damon."

Hayley choked on her ice cream. "Wait, what? You think we're...? No. No. No, we're just...I like guys, and as far as I know, so does Phoebe."

"Okay, okay, I believe you," said Jenna laughing slightly. "I just thought I'd...Is that normal?" Jenna pointed to the 'sisters' tattoo on Hayley's wrist.

Hayley looked down to see what she was talking about. The tattoo was glowing. "No, I'd say that's definitely not normal."

"What does it mean?"

Hayley shrugged, "I don't know. The witches said the ink was magical. That it bound the two people together somehow."

"So maybe this is telling you there's something up with Phoebe?" Jenna said slowly.

"You think something might be wrong?"

"You tell me. You're the one with a magical tattoo."

That was enough for Hayley. Jenna may not know about Phoebe's condition, but Hayley sure did, and there were any number of things that could be going on with her right now because of it. "I'm gonna go check it out." She hopped off her stool and headed for the front door.

"I'll come with you," Jenna called, following her.

As the two headed for the high school to see what could be going on with their tattoos, a horrible thought struck Hayley – one she did not share: if there were something wrong with Phoebe, why wasn't anyone calling them to tell them so?

* * *

Damon returned with the keys, eager to get going back to Mystic Falls. Now that he knew what Katherine had in mind, and it was more than just a theory, he wanted to get back and let Phoebe know he hadn't left because of her. He wanted to share the good news that he had found another way to solve their Klaus problem.

"Where's my phone?" He was looking at Katherine.

Katherine tried to play coy, "Do you need to check in with Phoebe? Make sure it's okay you kidnapped her baby bro?"

"You know you have it," he told her.

Katherine smiled and shrugged, "What can I say? I needed you present here now."

Damon held out his hand, no longer in the mood to put up with her, "Katherine, phone, now."

Katherine scowled at him as she dug the phone out of her pocket, and slapped it into the palm of his hand. Damon studied his phone, expecting only to see messages from Phoebe, but what he read from Bonnie hit him like a train.

Jeremy noticed the concern on his face. "What is it?"

"Klaus is back in town." He glared up at Katherine. She had to have known about this.

"No turning back, Damon," said Katherine.

"Shut up, Katherine," he told her. He handed the keys to Jeremy, "Stay with her so Anna can guide you. I'm going back."

"You're gonna get yourself killed," she told him. He ignored her and kept walking. "The Damon I remember wouldn't have been that stupid."

Damon stopped to look back at her, but only for a second. "I wouldn't have done it for you."

* * *

Klaus moved quickly, picking Phoebe's body up and bringing her to where she'd left her phone on the side of the pool. He started the timer for three minutes, and then made quick work of positioning her body for the CPR. He wanted to be ready when it was time.

Much like when she'd died before, Phoebe shot straight up from where she lay on the ground, her lungs sucking in as much air as they could. She looked around her, not wanting to waste any time, and quickly noted that, unlike last time, she was not in the Mystic Falls Cemetery. This time, she was still where her body was: Mystic Falls High School swimming pool.

"This is a change," she commented to no one in particular, rising to her feet.

"Hello, Phoebe."

Phoebe spun around. Esther was standing there with a slight smile on her face. "Esther!" Phoebe blurted out. "I need your help. Klaus is back, and I'm too weak to fight him."

Esther's smile faded, "I know."

"I know I failed you once, and the other witches have already begun to punish me for it, but if you could just talk to them…convince them to give me another chance…"

Esther shook her head, "I've tried, Phoebe, but they won't go for it." She looked at Phoebe with mock sadness. "You're just going to have to fight him the way you are."

"But I'll die," Phoebe argued.

"Yes, you will. But you'll have died doing the world a service. You'll have died saving your sister from a monster." Esther reached out and placed a comforting hand on Phoebe. "I know death is scary, but…"

Phoebe didn't hear what she said after that, her mind was racing to put the pieces together. Esther had created her to kill Klaus, and she had gone behind the backs of all the other dead witches to do it. So why couldn't she do that now to help give her a little bit more energy to survive the fight? To give her the chance to say goodbye to her loved ones? To make sure that Klaus' compulsion wore off of Stefan with his death? To make sure his sister didn't kill everyone she loved as revenge for Phoebe killing Klaus?

Esther clearly wanted Phoebe dead for some reason. The question was why? Sure, she was another abomination of nature and all witches typically wanted their kind dead; and it was entirely possible that Esther knew of her plan to become a vampire, and didn't want to let that happen…but why?

Klaus eyed the phone impatiently. Hadn't it been three minutes, yet? Not yet. The timer was a little over halfway there, but it still wasn't time yet.

"Bloody hell…" he growled.

What was so horrible about her becoming a vampire? There were plenty in existence already, what was one more? Was it possible Phoebe could keep her powers as a vampire, and Esther was just trying to prevent an unstoppable, over powerful monster from coming to be? It was possible. But something in Phoebe's gut told her that there was something else, some other reason.

"Why don't you want me to live?" Phoebe challenged, cutting Esther off.

Esther looked at her, confusion etched on her face. She didn't know how to respond.

"You have to know that Rebekah will seek revenge for me killing her brother, so killing just him won't actually save my sister." Phoebe shrugged Esther's hand off. "Rebekah has a worse temper than Klaus. Once she finds out that he's dead and I killed him, she'll slaughter everyone at that school, maybe even the entire town. That's a lot of innocent lives to be lost just to have me kill Klaus."

"I told you, Phoebe, I tried talking to-"

"The other witches wouldn't allow that many innocent lives to be lost like that," Phoebe cut her off. "They may not give me the strength to survive killing Klaus, but they'd have at least reached out to Bonnie and given her the power to help me, and yet…they haven't." Pieces began falling into place for Phoebe the more she spoke. "Because they don't want me to have help. If I have help, I won't need to use as much power to fight. If I don't use as much power, I might survive."

Esther tried to maintain a neutral expression, but her poker face was no match for Phoebe's skills, especially when she was already on a roll.

"They don't want me to survive, do they?" Phoebe questioned.

Esther hesitated. "…No. They don't."

"Why?" Phoebe held up a finger to add, "And don't give me any of that crap about me being an abomination of nature. They've been slowly killing me since I was born, and only accelerated it once they saw I wasn't gonna follow Klaus out of town to…" Her voice trailed off as it hit her. The acceleration of her condition wasn't punishment for not killing Klaus, it was insurance.

The timer beeped signaling Klaus that the three minutes had passed. It was time to begin CPR. Klaus hopped to it, without a second's hesitation.

The ancient witched eyed Phoebe mildly nervous. It was clear Phoebe was having some sort of epiphany.

"Doppelganger blood has mystical properties," Phoebe said slowly. She wasn't talking to Esther, but saying her thoughts out loud had been helping her thus far, why stop now? "Now, I'm not a doppelganger, but you made me the twin of one, so we share some traits. That combined with making me The Anomaly…" Phoebe looked up at Esther – she wanted to see the witch's reaction to her theory. "Is my blood the key to Klaus siring hybrids?"

Esther stared at her sourly for a moment, and Phoebe thought that she might refuse to answer. But then her expression changed. She looked at ease. What did she know that Phoebe didn't?

"Yes," she confirmed. "Your blood is the key."

"That's why you all started making me sicker after Klaus left town. You knew he was looking for werewolves to sire into hybrids, and that he'd eventually find out that he needed my blood to do it. But if I was dead, then he couldn't do that."

"Yes," she replied calmly. "We'd have even let you become a vampire, like you were planning – your blood would be useless to him then, but you took too long."

Phoebe shook her head, she didn't believe it. It had been more the three minutes by now and Klaus would have begun trying to revive her. So why wasn't she getting flashes of the living world like she had before? "Then I won't fight him. I'll help him."

Esther smiled lightly, "I'm afraid it's too late for that."

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm afraid your lungs were too weak for this…visit," she explained. "Klaus won't be able to revive you."

The emotional part of Phoebe that had been oddly active tonight threatened to take over, but she pushed it back down. Esther had to be lying. But what good could come from that lie? If it was a lie, why would she have told her the truth about Phoebe's blood being the key to Klaus making hybrids – and that had been the truth?

"Phoebe."

Phoebe turned to see Isobel standing on the other side of the pool.

"Mom?" Phoebe called back. It felt a little odd calling her that to her face, but she'd gotten in the habit of calling her 'mom' over the summer when she visited her grave and talked to her.

"Use your powers, Phoebe," Isobel told her.

Phoebe began walking around the pool to her, "How? I'm dead."

"In those brief flashes of consciousness you get, try to absorb the water."

"She can't do that," Esther called. "Those brief moments of consciousness aren't enough for her to use her powers. Even if they were, she's too weak to use them."

"Don't listen to her," said Isobel. "Focus. Absorb the water like you do when you used to go running with Matt. Remember how you absorbed the moisture from the air?"

"That was different. I-I didn't even realize I was doing it," Phoebe argued. "Wait, a minute, how do you know I used to go running with Matt? Or that I could absorb the moisture in the air?"

Isobel smiled, "I've been watching over you since that day in the cemetery."

Phoebe swallowed the lump building in her throat, "So…when I visit your grave…you…you can hear me?"

"Every word." There was something oddly maternal in her voice. "Now, focus, Phoebe, there isn't much time."

Phoebe shook her head, "Esther's right, it's too late. There haven't been any flashes."

"There will be," Isobel told her confidently.

Phoebe opened her mouth to argue further, but she was cut off by a flash of the living world. Isobel had been right. She saw Klaus hovering over her performing chest compressions.

"Come on, love," he begged.

Phoebe almost didn't want to go. The chance to talk to Isobel again, and on a marginally better note than the previous two times they'd met…But Elena needed her. As tired as she was of having to always be needed for something, she couldn't just stop caring and do nothing. She loved her sister, and would always be there for her when she needed her. And now was one of those times.

Phoebe reached out and held onto Isobel's hands. She closed her eyes reluctantly, and waited for the next flash. When it came, she was ready. She imagined Elijah's voice in her head guiding her to her goal. It helped a lot.

When Phoebe woke up, her lungs automatically sucked in a large intake of air, which only made things more awkward. Klaus was in the middle of performing mouth-to-mouth when she woke up. She, of course, hadn't taken notice of this, but Klaus made sure that it didn't escape her attention altogether.

"Welcome back, sweetheart," he grinned, pretending he hadn't just been worried.

"Thanks," she replied. That was when she noticed that his face was alarmingly close to hers. So close, she could feel his breath on her face. "Why are you so close?"

"Well, I was in the middle of performing mouth-to-mouth. It's nice to know my lips have magic healing powers."

Phoebe rolled her eyes.

"It's like something out of a fairy tale," he went on. "Tell me, sleeping beauty, what news from the witch?"

* * *

Six minutes, fifteen seconds.

Stefan paced anxiously, desperately trying to figure out a loophole in Klaus' compulsion.

"Stefan, you can control this," said Elena confidently. "When that buzzer goes off, just—just drink from me."

"You don't get it! I can't stop, Elena!" Stefan snapped. "I'm a ripper! A ripper doesn't stop! I listen to the words that come out of your mouth, and all I hear is the sound of your heart pumping blood through your body."

Elena stared at him in shock – she'd never seen this side of Stefan before. Aside from their trip to Chicago, he'd always been so kind and sweet to her. Because he loved her and wanted to protect her from the monster that he thought he was. But now…now the monster was rearing its ugly head, and Elena did not like it.

"And when that clock ticks down…" Five minutes, thirty-nine seconds. "I'm going to have to feed on you, and I won't be able to stop."

Elena shook her head, "I don't believe that. You can fight it. You just have to want it bad enough."

"Why, because I love you?"

"Yeah! That's right, Stefan, because you love me," she confirmed. "You'll fight, because after everything we've been through, you owe me that!"

He did owe her. He'd brought so much chaos into her life, when all she wanted was to live in 'naïve bliss', as Phoebe liked to put it. But because he loved her?...not so much. He did care about her, obviously, he'd always care about her. But he didn't feel he loved her that way anymore. A feeling he'd had for most of the summer, but only now knew for certain.

Elena had always been his anchor, though, his strength. If he didn't have her or their love to give him the strength he needed to fight, then where would he find it? He wished Phoebe were here now. For someone who was terrible with words, she always seemed to know just what to say to him.

Four minutes, fifty-two seconds.

* * *

Tyler shot up from where he lay on the science lab table, gasping for air. "Where am I? What happened?"

Caroline tried to get him to relax a bit, before breaking the news, but Rebekah had other plans.

"Don't be shy about it," she told Caroline.

"What's going on?"

"Klaus is turning you into a hybrid, like him…you're in transition." Caroline said it all as gently as she could, but no matter how gentle she was about it, it was still a terrifying thing to hear.

"Don't leave out the hard part, sweets," said Rebekah. "You'll only survive if your Anomaly friend is successful. If not…pretty much dead."

Caroline shot a glare at Rebekah. "You're gonna be okay. Okay? It's gonna be okay."

"I wonder how she's doing." Rebekah unlocked Caroline's phone to check the timer. It was down to two minutes. She showed it to the others and smiled. "Tick tock goes the gym clock."

* * *

"I don't understand. Where is everyone?" Jenna pondered aloud. She and Hayley had made it to the school, and were now looking around for some sign of trouble. Unfortunately, the closest they could find to that was the lack of students lurking around setting up pranks for their teachers.

"I don't know," Hayley answered. "But at least they're missing and not lying around in pools of their own blood."

Jenna shivered at the thought. Yes, at least there was that.

"Something else." Hayley showed Jenna her tattoo.

"It stopped glowing," Jenna noted. Hayley nodded. "Is that a good or bad thing?"

"…I have no idea…"

* * *

Seventeen seconds.

Stefan was sweating profusely, now. They were almost out of time and he still hadn't found a loophole in Klaus' compulsion. In just a few seconds, he was going to have to feed on the girl he once loved, and worse yet…he would not be able to stop.

"Elena, you're gonna have to run," he told her. It was physically agonizing trying to fight his urge to kill her, and the timer hadn't even gone out yet.

"But Klaus said that if I run-"

"I know what he said, but if you stay it won't matter," he interrupted.

Nine seconds.

Stefan collapsed to the floor, trying to fight every fiber of his being not to hurt her. "Elena, please," he begged. "Please, please, please, please…"

Elena glanced at the clock, nervously. Five seconds.

"Elena, there's no other way," he pleaded.

"There is another way, Stefan. It's for you to fight," she told him. "Remember what Phoebe said, find your strength and fight it."

The buzzer sounded, and both Stefan and Elena's hearts seemed to stop for a moment.

Unimaginable pain tore away at Stefan from the inside. He'd never turned into a wolf, but he imagined this was close to what it felt like for Hayley and Tyler every month.

"Stefan, I love you," Elena whimpered. "Fight, Stefan. Don't give up."

He wanted to, he really did. But what for? What was his anchor, his source of strength without Elena? He didn't have time to figure it out. Without wanting to, he charged at Elena. Stefan missed her, just barely, due to his little remaining willpower and her reflex to move aside. Elena screamed instinctively as she dodged his attack.

"Elena, run!" he commanded. She didn't want to, she still hoped their love would be enough for him to fight, but still she ran.

Jenna and Hayley weren't that far from the gym when they heard Elena scream. They didn't know who was screaming at the time, but that didn't matter. Someone was obviously in trouble and they needed to find out whom.

Elena ran like anyone being pursued would – constantly checking over their shoulder to see how close their pursuer was. She burst through a set of double-doors and looked back to see how close Stefan was. That was when she ran into Jenna. She screamed again, automatically.

"It's okay, it's just me," Jenna comforted. "What's going on?"

"It's Klaus," Elena panted. "He compelled Stefan to feed on me. Stefan's trying to fight it, but…"

"Where's Phoebe?" Hayley asked.

"I don't—I don't know. Klaus took her away, and I haven't seen her."

The sounds of Stefan throwing himself into lockers to slow himself down were steadily getting closer.

"Okay, you get Elena out of here, I'll see if I can help slow Stefan down somehow," Hayley instructed.

Jenna nodded, scooped up her niece, and took off out of there.

Hayley pushed through the double-doors, and looked down the hall at Stefan. He looked absolutely horrible.

* * *

By the time Klaus and Phoebe caught up to Stefan, he and Hayley had already made their way into the cafeteria. Hayley had shove a broken broom handle through Stefan's belly to slow him down enough to get the story – at least what little he knew – of what had transpired tonight. Both of them looked Phoebe up and down, searching for any signs of damage. They didn't find any, but she still looked awful.

Aside from being soaked head to toe from her adventure in the pool, she looked utterly exhausted, like someone who hadn't slept properly in days. Klaus wasn't exactly dry yet, either, which only added to their concerns.

"What did you do to her?" Hayley accused, moving closer to Phoebe.

"I haven't done anythin' to her, except save her life," Klaus defended.

Hayley looked at Phoebe, her face full of uncertainty, "What's he talking about?"

"I'll explain later." Phoebe waved a dismissive hand, as though trying to swat the topic away like a fly. "Where's Elena?"

"Jenna got her out of here just in time," Hayley told her. "She's fine."

Klaus looked at Stefan, "You look awful, mate. Why don't you turn it off?"

"No," Stefan choked out.

"Come on," Klaus pressed. He took a seat on one of the tables. "Your humanity is **_killing_** you. All the guilt must be exhausting. Turn it off."

"No!" Stefan repeated.

"Klaus, stop it," said Phoebe. "I have your answer, you don't need to do this anymore."

"And how do I know you won't lie?"

Phoebe looked surprised he would even think that, given everything that had happened tonight, after what she went through to get his answer. "Because if I lie then Tyler dies."

Klaus shrugged. "You've never been very fond of him. You told me so yourself."

"No, but if this doesn't work with Tyler you'll just go after Hayley next," Phoebe pointed out. Hayley looked uneasy. "I wouldn't do that to her."

"I believe you, love," he nodded. "But I may have further use of Mr. Salvatore, here."

"Klaus, please-" she started to plead, but he'd already made up his mind. Having Stefan as a pawn to control as he wished was of more use to him than having Phoebe happy with him.

"You're strong, Stefan. But you're not **_that_** strong." Klaus pulled out the broken broom handle and tossed it aside. "Turn…it…off."

Stefan looked at Phoebe. Her brown eyes were desperate for him to remain strong, to keep fighting Klaus' compulsion. Though Elena's life was no longer in danger, there was still something she needed from him, some reason she needed him to stay Stefan. That was enough for him. For her, without even knowing why, he would fight.

He shoved Klaus backwards, "NO!"

Everyone, even Klaus was taken by surprise.

"Now this is fascinating. I've never seen this before," Klaus began. He glanced back at Phoebe. "The only thing stronger than your craving for blood, is your love for this one girl." He'd clearly noticed the look they had shared before his defiant outburst.

"Klaus," Phoebe began again. Still, Klaus ignored the pleading tone in her voice.

Klaus took Stefan by the collar of his shirt, pinned him against the closest wall, and commanded one last time, "Turn it off!"

Stefan was hit full force by Klaus' compulsion, giving him no room to fight or resist. He had no choice but to do as he was compelled to do…So he turned it off.

Phoebe never thought there could be visible signs of someone turning their humanity off, and maybe there wasn't; but the weight lifting from Stefan's shoulders could be seen from a football field away.

"What did you do?" Hayley asked.

Klaus turned back around, slowly. "I fixed him."

The lights began to flicker and an unbelievable gust of wind came roaring into the room. Phoebe had reached her breaking point. She didn't care if using her powers would make her sicker, or if using enough of them to kill Klaus would result in her death. What he had done to Stefan was the last straw for her, and whether she killed him or just knocked him on his ass didn't matter, but he had to…

Phoebe collapsed where she stood.

"Phoebe!" Hayley dropped to her knees at Phoebe's side. She lifted Phoebe's head to look at her. Her nose was bleeding, and she looked even more drained – if that were possible. Hayley looked up at Klaus, "We need to get her to a hospital."

* * *

After having first made sure that Phoebe was well-set up at the hospital, with Stefan lurking nearby and Hayley at her side, Klaus returned to the high school science lab with a vial of Phoebe's blood. It was time to see if the Original Witch had told the truth or not.

Klaus gave Tyler the vial. "Phoebe's blood. Drink it."

Caroline wanted to tell him not to drink it, but she knew if he didn't he'd be dead soon. This was his only chance of survival.

Tyler took the vial and downed its contents. Everything was fine for about three seconds, then the pain started. He crashed to the floor, writhing in pain – it felt like he was turning into the wolf. Tyler screamed and cried out, like he had on his first full moon, all while Caroline tried to hold him like she did every full moon.

After a few short minutes – though to Tyler it felt a lot longer than that – the pain stopped. Tyler let out a roar much like the one Klaus had done when he broke the curse. Klaus smiled to himself. The experiment had been a success. He could now make hybrids.

* * *

Phoebe lay there in her hospital bed, wires and IVs sticking out of her all over. Her face held no emotion, her brown eyes stared off into space, and even her mind had slowed to a crawl. Klaus had compelled the medical staff to take care of her after everything she'd been through tonight, but also to siphon her for blood – a few bags would do for now. But she didn't care. She didn't put up a fight or protest the whole way to the hospital, or while they took care of her. Hayley, of course, tried to argue against letting Klaus take her blood, but Phoebe told her to let it be. Phoebe Gilbert had reached her breaking point.

Klaus entered the room, eyeing her cautiously – she looked so tired. Phoebe didn't even bother to look at him, though she knew he was there. He looked at Hayley, "Can you give us a moment?"

Hayley looked at Phoebe, who only nodded in response. It wasn't a very obvious nod, but it was enough. Hayley rose to her feet and left the room.

"You'll be happy to know your sister made it home alright," Klaus announced.

Phoebe said nothing. She hadn't really doubted that Elena was alright. Hayley had told her that Stefan hadn't touched her, that Jenna had taken her away.

"I'm sorry tonight's events happened the way they did, but I trust you know that they had to happen."

"Had to happen," Phoebe scoffed. "None of this had to happen, Klaus. Tyler didn't need to be forced to become a lab rat. Dana and Chad didn't have to die. Stefan didn't need you to take away what little sanity he had left, break him down, and then turn him into a sociopath. Elena's life didn't have to be put in danger more than it already was. I didn't have to die to get you your answers." She turned her head to look at him, now, angry tears filling her eyes. "All of this, this entire night, could have been avoided and done better."

Klaus grew a bit testy himself. How could she not see that what had transpired tonight, needed to? "And what, you'd have just helped me, if I'd have asked?"

"Yes," Phoebe answered, without hesitation. "Because Stefan and I were already doing our damnedest to keep Elena hidden from you, so you didn't think her death was the key to making your hybrid army. My fear that you would default back to that, if I didn't find another answer for you, would have been motivation enough. And if I'm being completely honest, I was curious to know myself."

Klaus said nothing. The fact that she might also be curious had never occurred to him. He was always so used to people saying he was an abomination of nature, and for there to be more like him would be a terrible thing. He was used to people always plotting against him, thwarting his plans, trying to stop him from getting whatever it was he wanted. The fact that someone would be so willing to help him, without a display of violence or some kind of ulterior motive, was something foreign to him altogether.

"Why do you even need an army of hybrids, anyway?" Phoebe asked. "You're pretty much invincible, as is. Why do you need an army?"

Klaus' eyes fell to the floor. "I don't want them for protection. I want them so I don't have to be alone anymore."

"But you're not alone." Klaus looked up at her. "You have your family. Your siblings. At least you would if you ever took them out of storage."

He gave a light smirk, "My siblings and I have a very...complicated relationship."

"Yeah, they tend to get that way when you stab them in the back," said Phoebe bitterly. Klaus looked almost hurt at her jab. "You're not the only one that's done it – though yours is more literal. I've done things that hurt my siblings. But they've forgiven me. Because that's what family does. That's why Rebekah still came here with you to help you torment the people I care about, and why Elijah didn't kill you."

"Elijah didn't kill me, because you asked it of him," Klaus argued.

"And he listened when I asked, because I had already told him that if he could remember even one good memory with you – if he could remember a time when he loved you and didn't want to kill you – then he couldn't be a part of your death." Her eyes fell, looking rather sad. "And you repaid him by daggering him and putting him in a box, for who knows how long...You didn't even let me say goodbye..."

Klaus said nothing in response as he tried to figure out what it was about his brother that inspired such loyalty in others. How he could get her to miss him as much as she clearly did, when she barely knew him. Granted he had been training her for months, but his brother didn't open up to people that easily – he didn't let people in.

Then, as though reading his mind, Phoebe went on. "I needed him, Klaus. Him and Stefan. Now more than ever. But you've taken them both, and you have no intention of giving them back. Elijah poses too great a threat to your plans, and Stefan's the perfect pawn for your games – he doesn't care enough to fight or defy you anymore...I needed them and you've broken me..." She turned her head to face away from him again. "So just take your blood and go make your hybrids. Your walking blood bag will be here when you need more."

Klaus wanted to say something to cheer her up, but what? And why did he even care so much? His stomach knotted up the way it had earlier when he thought he wouldn't be able to revive her. He lingered for a moment more, and then left her as she had requested.

* * *

Damon made good time getting back to Mystic Falls, though Klaus was already gone by the time he got back. Hayley had spoken to Damon on the phone while Phoebe slept through the blood siphoning to tell him what she knew of the night's events and where they were now.

The Hospital was the first place Damon went when he got back, impatient to see Phoebe, especially after all that had happened. He was just hoping she'd want to see him. When he entered her hospital room, he got a feeling of déjà vu – it was like the night after Founders' Day all over again.

Damon approached the bed cautiously, looking at all the tubes and wires attached to her.

"Damon?" Phoebe groaned, waking up.

"I'm here." He stroked her cheek with his hand. She was colder than usual. No doubt from all the blood Klaus had taken from her.

Phoebe looked up into his gorgeous, blue eyes. She was happy to see him again. Happy to have him back home. But why wasn't he here already? Where had he been when she needed him?

She reached a hand up to take his, her eyes never leaving his. "Where were you?" Though she had tried to mask it, her voice had a clear sad edge to it.

Damon's eyes looked away, briefly, in guilt. "…I shouldn't have left."

Phoebe's eyes fell too. But Damon quickly demanded their attention once more. "But I promise you…I will **_never_** leave you again."

It would have been a sweet and touching moment, but someone else had other ideas.

"Well, isn't this cozy," said Stefan, leaning in the doorway.

Damon stood up and faced him, his body language clearly protective. "What are you doing here, brother?"

"Last I checked, I live here," he replied as though that should be obvious. He looked to Phoebe now. "Klaus is gone, but he's asked me to keep watch on you until he returns. From now on, you're under my protection."

That wasn't very surprising. At least, not to Phoebe. Klaus had said he may have further use for Stefan, and she didn't think it entailed having him tag along to hunt werewolves again. All the same, it didn't mean she'd like it. And she didn't. Not one bit.

* * *

Jeremy and Katherine didn't reach the crypt containing Mikael until the next morning. Jeremy was tired, and frankly sick of having to put up with Katherine, but he kept going. Anything to help Phoebe not have to be the one to kill Klaus, losing herself in the process. Katherine, on the other hand, was almost as paranoid as Klaus and continued to ask if Anna was lying or trying to lead them astray.

When they finally opened the tomb with Mikael's desiccated body in it, Katherine was happier than a kid at Christmas. Finally, after 500 years and a few failed plans, she had something that could kill Klaus. Things were beginning to look up for Katherine Pierce.


	51. Chapter 51: Smells Like Teen Spirit

Chapter 51: Smells Like Teen Spirit

" _September 1, 2010._

_I don't remember much about my stay in the hospital, other than what I've already written. I don't know if the memories were taken like the others, or if I intentionally blocked them out, or if I just didn't find them important enough to remember. But I do know that I made sure to sign myself out the next morning._

_I was worried someone would somehow find out about my condition – being stuck in the hospital with me as the patient, how could they not? Thankfully, though, I had Hayley to run interference for me anytime I was asleep. Still, all it would take was one slip from the doctor or a nurse, one glance at my medical chart, or one accidental vampire eavesdrop and I was doomed. This was not the way I wanted any of them to find out._

_I sent Jenna and Elena home with Damon the morning after everything happened to gather some things for me – I was gonna have to stay at the Boarding House for a while. Stefan was compelled not to let me out of his sight and I didn't want to put Elena through the torture of seeing him like that every day. I know I've been saying she needs a reality check when it comes to him, but this was different. No emotion Stefan was something she just wasn't ready for. That's why I had him wait somewhere out of sight at the hospital, while she was visiting. He could keep an ear on me just fine, without showing his face._

_Anyway, while they were getting me what I needed for an extended stay at the Boarding House, Stefan and Hayley helped get me there. But what about all your medicines, herbs, and potions, Phoebe? Surely you didn't entrust Damon, Elena, or Jenna with collecting those for you. Of course I didn't, future me. I just sent Hayley to get them sometime in the night, while everyone was busy fussing over me. I may not have been smart enough to go against Klaus at the time, but I wasn't a complete idiot. Don't you remember how shocked they all were when you_ **did** _tell them?"_

* * *

Phoebe didn't say a word the entire time she was in the little, red Porsche. Stefan and Hayley each made a few snarky comments to one another, but Phoebe ignored them and continued to stare out of the window. It was a pretty morning. The type of morning you'd want to capture on a canvas. But Phoebe found no joy in the morning's beauty. All she longed for was to get to the Boarding House and wash away the feel and smell of the hospital.

When they finally arrived, Phoebe headed up the stairs, announcing her plan to bathe, so the other two would not follow her upstairs. She stood in the archway of her bathroom, trying to decide on a relaxing soak in the bath or a good steam of the shower. She stared at the luxurious tub and unintentionally thought about drowning in the pool.

Her lungs were still stinging from the chlorine-treated water that had filled them less than 24 hours ago. Her heart rate increased slightly from the memory, and she found it a little harder to breathe. A bath was definitely out, and likely would be for a long while. Besides, she preferred the feeling of water falling on her, like rain.

Phoebe stood under the hot water of her showerhead, letting the cares and fears of the night before wash away with the grunge of the hospital. She looked at the bracelet around her left wrist – the one Elijah had given her – and stroked the hand with the sideways eye. She wished more than anything that Elijah were here now to give her some kind of guidance or help; but he wasn't, and likely wouldn't be for a very long time.

* * *

Hayley and Stefan didn't say a word to one another, as they sat awkwardly in the living room, while Phoebe showered. Stefan, however, was growing bored and was just about to make some kind of remark to get a rise out of the wolf, when there was a knock at the door. It was Rebekah.

"He left me here," she announced, pushing passed Stefan at the door. "My brother actually left me here."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Your tone implies that I'm actually supposed to care," Stefan replied nonchalantly.

Rebekah looked almost hurt at his tone.

"Who the hell is she?" Damon asked, entering the room.

"That's what I was about to ask," said Hayley.

"Rebekah." Feeling that was the only introduction she needed, Rebekah looked back to Stefan. "Which one is my room?"

Stefan didn't even try to repress the laugh that came to him. "You're not staying here."

Rebekah looked to Damon and Hayley for a second and third opinion. Both of them shook their heads.

"Rude. All of you," she told them. But it didn't matter, she didn't need their permission. She needed somewhere to stay, and she'd already decided to stay here. "I'll see to it myself."

They all watched her head up the stairs to pick a room.

"Well, I guess she's staying here," Stefan remarked.

Damon rolled his eyes.

"Great," Hayley sighed. "Just great."

* * *

Phoebe was sitting at her vanity, absent-mindedly brushing her hair, when Rebekah flung open her door. Phoebe jumped, and was immediately thankful she was already dressed.

"Perfect. I'll take this one," Rebekah commented to herself, looking around the room. She was mumbling to herself what needed to be changed, in her opinion.

Phoebe walked up to her, clearly not in the mood for this, "You're not getting this room. It's mine."

Rebekah narrowed her eyes, "My brother left me here, with nowhere to stay."

Phoebe wanted to reply with something snarky, like 'That sounds like a personal problem', but refrained. Instead, she forced herself to be civil. "Well, there are four other rooms in this house that you are more than welcome to choose from; but you cannot have this room."

"But this one's already furnished," Rebekah argued.

"And five seconds ago you were muttering about what you were going to have to change."

Rebekah sighed. "So?"

"So there are four other rooms in this house that are already blank canvases. Why don't you pick one of them to furnish however you want? It'd be much easier, and I'll even help." Phoebe hadn't meant to say that last, but it had slipped out and now she was forced to keep to it.

Rebekah looked suspicious of Phoebe's lack of hostility towards her. "Why would you do that?"

"Is Elijah, like, the black sheep of your family or something? Because he wasn't nearly as paranoid as you and Klaus are." It was very subtle – Rebekah only barely noticed – but the corners of Phoebe's mouth curved upwards into a slight smile, without her permission, at the mere mention of Elijah.

"You know Elijah?" Her face softened at the mention of her eldest brother.

"Yeah. He, uh..." She was going to tell Rebekah how he had helped her learn control over her powers, but didn't want to cause unnecessary future feuding between the two by telling her that he had trained her to kill Rebekah's other brother; so she instead replied, "...was my friend."

Phoebe automatically began playing with the bracelet still around her wrist. Rebekah noticed this. She was just about to ask Phoebe where and how she had gotten it, when she remembered the day Elijah came home with it.

" _What the bloody hell is that?" Rebekah asked._

_Elijah eyed the bracelet in his hand. "It's a bracelet," he replied simply. He held it up again to give her a better look. "The locals called it the Hand of Fatima or Khamsa."_

_Rebekah looked at her brother. "It's hideous, is what it is."_

_Elijah smiled as he thumbed the bracelet around his hand._

" _You actually spent money on that?"_

" _And what exactly is so wrong with it?" he challenged._

" _It's a bunch of hands with eyes in the palms," she replied as though it should be obvious why that made it so repulsive. "And one of them isn't even facing the right way."_

_Elijah smirked, "Well, it was hand-made, Rebekah, you can't expect it to be perfect."_

_She gave her brother a look that said she thought differently, but didn't voice it. "What are you going to do with it?"_

" _The natives believe that it's supposed to warn you of impending evil, and bring you happiness..." He tucked the bracelet into his pocket and smiled up at his little sister. "Perhaps it will do that for me."_

_Rebekah gave a teasing smile back, "Well, I look forward to meeting her."_

" _And why must my happiness come in the form of a woman?" Elijah questioned._

" _It doesn't," Rebekah shrugged. "It could be a man. Whichever you prefer."_

_Elijah gave his sister a look that begged her to be joking._

_Rebekah laughed into her glass at the expression on his face._

" _Let us hope_ **she** _does not have your sense of humor." He emphasized the word 'she' heavily._

" _Oh, she definitely will," Rebekah countered. "Someone's got to bring a smile to that face on a regular basis."_

_Elijah smiled, "And just what other traits do you anticipate my future happiness will have?"_

" _Hmm," she thought aloud. "I think she'll be kind, but also tough. Beautiful, of course."_

" _Of course."_

" _Weird. Definitely weird."_

" _Why weird?"_

" _Well, any girl that would like things like that hideous bracelet_ **has** _to be weird; and she_ **will** _like that bracelet," Rebekah explained._

_Elijah rolled his eyes, but still he smiled. "Anything else?"_

_Rebekah thought for a second, then looked back at her brother. "Yes. She'll be smart. Just not smart enough to stay away from you or this family."_

_Elijah nodded thoughtfully, and raised his glass. "Well, she sounds lovely. I can't wait to meet her."_

_Rebekah raised her own glass to clink with his. "To your future happiness."_

Rebekah tore her eyes from the hideous bracelet to look at Phoebe's face. "You didn't answer my question: why would you help me, after what me and my brother did to you and your friends last night?"

"I don't know." Phoebe threw her hands up slightly, and sighed. "Stefan said you were in a box for 90 years, I just thought you could use a friend instead of another enemy. But if you'd rather me threaten you-"

"No," Rebekah cut her off. "No, a friend would be nice. Thank you."

Phoebe nodded a 'you're welcome', and gestured to the door. "Let's go pick out a room and make a list of things we'll need to get you."

* * *

Rick stared down his target. _WAPOW_! Two stakes right in the chest. He stepped back from the practice dummy. "So the pressure of your punch ejects the stakes."

"Easy enough," Elena thought aloud. She stepped up to the proverbial plate, braced herself, and...nothing. Not only had she missed the target, but the stakes did not disengage from the wrist device. "That's weird," she mumbled.

Rick folded his arms and watched her try and fail again. He'd honestly expected as much.

Elena hit the wrist strap. "Must be jammed or something."

"You're not strong enough," Rick remarked. "Phoebe wasn't either. Better start lifting some weights, like she did."

"Thanks for not sugar-coating it," she sighed sarcastically. It was definitely a new and odd sensation being the one to be compared to her twin. It was always the other way around.

Rick held up a vervein grenade, and walked a few steps away from Elena and the dummy. "You know what this is?"

"A vervein grenade," Elena sighed again. "I've used one before."

"Then you know the element of surprise is your only advantage when it comes to a vampire." He pulled the pin of the grenade, and tossed it to Elena. "Surprise."

"Oh, my god!" Elena turned and threw the dangerous item she'd only caught out of pure reflex. She threw it as hard and fast as she could, then turned back to face Rick. "This isn't a joke to me, Rick!"

"You think I'm joking? Vampires will take whatever they want, they will hurt whoever they want, and they'll do it without remorse. It's their nature."

Elena's eyes fell briefly. "You don't have to use pronouns, you can say Stefan."

"I'm not just talking about Stefan," he corrected. "Look, I love Jenna, and she's made great progress in a short amount of time – Caroline too – but if I believed they would never slip and hurt one of us, if I believed that Damon would never hurt your sister or that Stefan would never hurt you, I'd be an idiot. The best thing we can do is be prepared for when it happens."

Rick could tell from Elena's face she still didn't want to believe that it were possible for one of them to hurt any of the rest of them; so he tried a Phoebe approach. "Elena, it isn't just their own basic instincts getting the better of them that we have to worry about. It's an Original compelling them, or a werewolf bite making them sick, or even a random vampire passing through town. Anna and I trained your sister before Elijah taught her to rely on her powers. It's time for you to stop being the damsel in distress and learn to defend yourself."

His words were harsh, but accurate. Elena had spent too long playing the damsel in distress, expecting Stefan to come and save her whenever she needed him to. It was time she put a stop to that. Stefan wasn't going to come to her rescue anymore – not in the state he was in right now – so she had to grow up and learn to protect herself.

"You're right," she admitted. Elena looked up at Rick with new conviction. "Let's get started."

* * *

Matt stood in the doorway of his sister's room, just staring into the room. He was supposed to be heading to the Grill for work, but he had a few minutes to be nostalgic. There wasn't much to really look at – Phoebe had helped him pack most Vicki's things up months ago – but it was still _**her**_ room.

Matt's phone began to ring from an unknown number. He hit ignore, and went back to staring into the room. All this recent talk of Jeremy being able to see her ghost this summer was starting to reopen some old wounds.

The unknown number began calling again. Matt ignored it again. Losing a sibling was a terrible thing, especially when your parents were also long gone from your life, and hadn't even bothered to come back and help support you after you told them that your sister was found dead.

Another unknown call.

Matt answered it angrily, "Look, I don't know who this is, but-"

"Matty? It's me." There was a crazy amount of static coming from the phone, but that was a voice Matt could never forget.

"...Vicki?"

* * *

"So how come you aren't at school with your friends?" Rebekah asked in between orders.

The two girls had spent all day shopping yesterday to find Rebekah what she needed for her room, including new clothes. It was a long day, but Phoebe was just glad that Stefan hadn't had to tag along, since she was with Rebekah.

Currently, the blonde was directing a pair of movers she'd compelled to where she wanted her furniture. It was all still in boxes, so it wasn't easy to decided where exactly she wanted everything to go – to be honest, she'd probably change her mind a few more times once everything was assembled – but boxes still needed to go somewhere.

"Most teachers don't do anything on the first day," Phoebe replied watching the movers from the doorway. "It's just a day for introductions and passing out outlines for what you'll be studying this year. Most people just throw them away without even reading them, though."

"Then why bother going for the first day?"

"I don't really know," Phoebe replied. She seemed thoroughly uninterested in the subject at hand, but Rebekah was too busy with the movers to notice. "Then again, there's always that one random teacher that likes to start class on the first day, and then hit you with a pop quiz the next day just to shame the kids that weren't there on day one."

"And you and Hayley aren't worried about missing that lesson?"

The movers walked by Phoebe to go downstairs to grab another piece of furniture to bring up. Phoebe walked over to the box they'd just left. "Hayley doesn't go to school with us. She just moved here a few months ago. Anyway, she's a year older than we are, so she wouldn't be in high school anymore." She pulled a pocket knife from her pocket and began cutting open the box containing Rebekah's vanity.

Rebekah watched her. "And you?"

"I'm a genius – literally," she sighed. "I get bored sitting in the classroom, because I already understand the entire day's lesson within just a few minutes. So the school told me I could teach myself at home, do my assignments at home, and come in once a week to exchange my assignments for new ones and take any tests."

"Sounds lonely."

"Not really," Phoebe shrugged, pulling pieces out of the box. "I only started doing it when Hayley came to town so she'd have company. A werewolf in a town full of vampires – one of them a heavy believer in werewolf genocide...not exactly all that safe to leave alone."

Rebekah looked at the bracelet around Phoebe's wrist again. She was smart, brave, kind, beautiful, and she seemed to actually like that hideous thing. The only thing she'd yet to see was her sense of humor. That was going to be hard to judge when the only two times she'd even seen Phoebe smile was when she had the idea to drown herself in the pool, and when she'd mentioned Elijah.

"Why do you keeping looking at my bracelet?" Phoebe asked her, taking notice. "Don't tell me it was yours, too."

"Definitely not." Rebekah looked repulsed at the very idea. "I was just thinking about the day Elijah came home with that thing. I found it absolutely hideous."

"Really?" Phoebe asked in surprise. She looked down at it. "I like it. Especially the eye that's pointed sideways." Phoebe's mouth once again curved upwards, without her permission, at the corners.

Rebekah smiled.

Phoebe looked back up at the blonde vampire, all traces of happiness vanishing from her face once again. "What?"

"Nothing. You're just...not what I was expecting."

Phoebe's brow furrowed curiously, "I'm not sure how to take that."

"It's a compliment," Rebekah assured her.

"In that case..." Phoebe got up briefly to grab the toolbox the movers had left for later use, then sat back down with the vanity pieces. "Thank you."

"What are you doing? That's their job."

"And I can do it just as well," Phoebe argued. "Come on, I'll show you. It's easy."

Rebekah was reluctant, but still she joined her new friend on the floor, and learned to assemble the pieces of her vanity.

* * *

Bonnie, Caroline, and Elena stood in the school parking lot, staring up at the high school.

"Here we are. Senior year," Caroline announced. Her tone was laced with false enthusiasm.

"Anyone else think this should feel slightly more empowering?" Bonnie asked rhetorically.

Caroline gave her a look. "Okay, so Prank Night was a bust. But we are accepting it, and we are moving on."

The three girls began moving towards the school, each verbally affirming that they weren't going to let their man troubles bring down their moods. Bonnie with her crush on Jeremy, who's been seeing his dead ex-girlfriends all summer. Caroline, whose boyfriend just became Klaus' first successful hybrid. And Elena, whose boyfriend was just compelled to become a sociopath by Klaus, and realizing only now that today was their first anniversary.

* * *

Matt sat in his truck watching his fellow Seniors, and other teenagers, walk around the grounds. What was he even doing here? How could he come to school and pretend to be normal after the events that had transpired here only a few nights ago? When only yesterday...he had heard his sister's voice on the phone?

The phone call hadn't lasted long. It was kind of like when there's a bad cell connection and both persons keep saying 'Hello?' or "Can you hear me?', before the call drops entirely. And now that he really thought about it, had that even been Vicki? Had it been just a dream?

Matt's phone notified him of a new text message. It was from an unknown number, but it read, "You were always so much better at being a part of this than I was."

"Vicki?" Matt questioned aloud.

A new message. "Hi, Matty."

"Is that really you?" he asked skeptically.

"It's really me," read the next message. "I miss you so much."

Matt sighed sadly, "I miss you, too, Vick. With you gone and mom not around...it's a lot to deal with alone."

"What if I told you there was a way that you could help me come back?"

Matt made a face at his phone, "What do you mean 'come back'?"

Matt stared at his phone intently, waiting for an explanation; but his focus was broken by Tyler banging on his hood enthusiastically.

"Donovan!" he called. "Why you just sittin' in your truck?"

Matt looked back down at his phone. There was still no reply. It looked like he'd have to wait for that explanation.

* * *

"Come on, Mikael. Breakfast," Katherine sang, dangling a mouse over the desiccated vampire. "Mikael, wake up!"

Her phone began to ring. It was Damon...again. He'd been calling her since Jeremy went home yesterday – a companion she was happy to be rid of.

"What?" she snapped, answering the phone.

"What? What do you mean 'what', I've been calling you for almost two days," said Damon.

"Odd. That's exactly how long I've been ignoring you."

Her sarcasm aside, Damon asked her how things were going with Mikael. To his annoyance, they weren't going well. Mikael refused to eat anything that Katherine presented him with, and she had tried everything. Damon told her to try harder, which only irritated the older vampire further.

"Fine. I'll give it another shot."

* * *

Phoebe weaved through the crowded halls, here eyes darting all over for her sister; until, finally, she found her.

"Elena!" she called over the noise.

Elena turned away from her locker to see who was calling. "Hey! Are you here to check up on me, cause I'm fine."

"No, I just thought I'd say 'hi' while I was here." Phoebe gestured to the stack of work in her arms. "I was here to pick up my first batch of schoolwork and help get our new housemate registered for school."

Elena made a face, "What new housemate?"

"Rebekah," Phoebe replied casually. "She's never been to high school before."

"Wait, what?! Why are you enrolling her in school? And why is she living with you guys?"

"Uh, I believe I've already answered the school one already," she answered, still calm. "As for her living arrangements, she has nowhere else to go. Klaus left town after Damon name-dropped Mikael, and he left her behind. It isn't like we don't have the room."

"Phoebe..." Elena began.

"Don't," Phoebe cut her off. "Just...don't." Despite not being in the mood for a lecture of any kind, Phoebe didn't seem all that annoyed by the idea. In fact, she seemed remarkably neutral. Both her tone and her face held little to no emotion in them.

Elena swallowed her oncoming lecture, for now, and sighed. "I miss you."

Phoebe had spent more than a few nights at the Boarding House before – sometimes back to back – but Elena had always seen her sister in there at some point. This much lack of contact was very odd for the twins.

"I know. I miss you, too." Phoebe forced a twitch of a smile, briefly. "Well, I won't keep you any longer. Have a good day, Elena."

Elena watched her sister disappear in the sea of teenagers, before turning to head for her first class of the day. She passed by Caroline at one of the bulletin boards, and the flyer she was pinning caught her eye.

"I forgot about the bonfire," she groaned.

"What?" Caroline looked between Elena and the flier in surprise. "You have to go. It's our first Spirit Squad event. And it sets the bar for the whole year."

"Relax, Caroline, I'll be there," Elena chuckled.

Caroline sighed with relief, but before she could voice her relief, Tyler came out of nowhere and kissed her. It would have been a sweet gesture, if not for the taste of blood in his mouth, or the small stain of it on his shirt.

The two girls quickly ushered him into the men's room before anyone could see. Elena checked the stalls to make sure it was all clear, while Caroline began laying into her boyfriend about wearing his breakfast to school.

"Chill out, it was just a blood bag," Tyler defended.

"From where?" Caroline challenged.

"Rebekah hooked me up."

Caroline was shocked. "Rebekah?! And what are you even talking to her for?"

"Klaus told her to keep a watch on me," he replied. "Protect his new asset."

Somehow, Tyler seemed proud of this, which meant that their fight was only just beginning, ad that it was time for Elena to leave. She considered warning Caroline of Rebekah's recent admission into the school, but now wasn't really the time. Surely she'd get the chance to tell her later...right?

* * *

The Stoner Pit. It was definitely a strange place for Matt Donovan to find himself, but he needed to connect with Vicki so he could talk to her again. What better place at the school, than the Stoner Pit?

"You've got no business in the Stoner Pit," read a new message.

Matt smiled to himself. It worked. "Vick, what did you mean earlier? You said I could help you come back. How?"

"Right now, I can only come back when you or Jeremy are thinking of me," she messaged. "But there's a way that I can be free of that. A way you can see and hear me."

"How?" he asked in disbelief.

"I know it sounds crazy," the message began. "But I have help from the Other Side."

"What kind of help?" He was cautious about the idea, but this was still his sister.

"The witch I've been talking to says there's a ritual. She can do magic from my side to push me over to yours," she replied. "I'll be able to come and go as I please – when I want, where I want. I won't have to rely on you thinking of me."

"But you'll still be a ghost, Vicki," he argued.

"In a town full of vampires, werewolves, and witches," the message began. "I'll fit right in."

"Seriously?" he snapped. "You're gonna make jokes about this?"

"Matt, relax!" she typed. "No one else will be able to see me."

Matt seemed unsure of this whole thing. It all sounded a bit too...weird.

"I can be a part if this life again, Matt. You won't have to be alone anymore."

That was it. Those were the perfect words to make him ignore the voice of caution and reason in his head. Then again, anyone would understand the appeal. The chance to have a loved one back in some form? Nearly anyone would be selfish enough to do it. So why couldn't he?

* * *

The football field of Mystic Falls High was full of life that afternoon. Football players were getting back into the routine of practicing drills, cheerleaders were going over some basic routines of their own, and there were plenty of other students hanging out in the stands. All seemed to be getting back to normal.

"Has anyone seen Dana?" asked one of the cheerleaders.

Caroline, the only one who actually knew that Dana was dead, ignored the question and continued to stretch.

"Sounds like you have an opening on the squad," came an annoyingly familiar English accent.

Caroline spun around, hoping she was just hearing things. She wasn't. "What are you doing here?"

"Your friend was kind enough to help me get registered for school this morning," Rebekah replied, beginning to stretch with the other girls.

Caroline tried to think of who she was talking about – no one she knew would ever do something like thi... "Phoebe?! Phoebe helped you?"

Rebekah's only answer was a smug smile.

Caroline couldn't believe this. Despite it sounding like something Phoebe would do, she just couldn't believe that Phoebe would actually do this after what happened the other night. After what Rebekah did.

She pushed those thoughts aside for later seething to tell Rebekah that she couldn't just come in here and mess with their lives. Unfortunately for Caroline, it was only her life hat Rebekah was interested in destroying. Her "spark", her popularity, and maybe even her boyfriend. But Rebekah's threats weren't nearly as irritating as what she did a few minutes later.

While Caroline when to scold Tyler for using compulsion on the coach so openly, Rebekah took the opportunity to show off some moves. Because of her vampire reflexes and centuries of use, she executed flips and a split that were near perfect. Everyone, including Tyler, loved her.

* * *

"No!" Mikael objected. "Get it away!"

Katherine had grabbed a random human from the cemetery and was letting them bleed into his mouth. He seemed interested in nothing else, so this was the only other thing that she could think to do. But now he was complaining about even that.

She tossed the human aside. "Happy?"

"Thank you," was all he said, before falling asleep, yet again. What did she have to do to get through to this guy?

* * *

Phoebe stared up at the ceiling from where she lay on her four-poster bed. She'd been laying there a while, just listening to music and staring off into space. Her eyes had begun to water from her lack of blinking some time ago, but anyone entering now would think it was her choice of music bringing tears to her eyes.

She was listening to Helen Jane Long's album 'Porcelain'. It was a one of those easy-listening kind of albums, as they called it; but to Phoebe it was something that helped her to either relax and sleep, or inspired her to create art. Or, in cases such as now, it helped her to think – just not necessarily about good things.

Hayley, having gotten to know Phoebe rather well in the short times she'd been here, knew better than to ask bout the depressing-sounding music when she entered the room – if Phoebe wanted to talk about it, she would.

"Elena wants to lock Stefan up," she announced, confident the music was loud enough to cover their voices from vampire eavesdropping.

"Well, that didn't take long," Phoebe remarked sarcastically.

Hayley sat on the edge of the bed. "She wants to hold him somewhere, until this Mikael guy comes and kills Klaus, and the compulsion breaks."

Phoebe wiped her face and sat up. "When the compulsion breaks, all that's gonna do is free Stefan from doing what Klaus said. It's not gonna bring his humanity back. He'll take off like that." She snapped her fingers.

"Yeah, that's what your boyfriend told her, too. She still wants to...Lexi him?" Hayley looked absolutely lost as to what the hell that was.

Phoebe rolled her eyes so hard she actually made herself dizzy.

"I take it that means something to you?"

"Lexi was Stefan's best friend for over 150 years," Phoebe explained. "Anytime Stefan fell off the wagon and became a ripper again, she was there to dry him out and get him feeling again."

"Okay, that's the second time I've heard someone call him that. What's a ripper?"

"A ripper is someone who can't control themselves when it comes to human blood." Phoebe tried to think of a good analogy to use, but the best she could come up with was, "It's like an alcoholic trying to have only one glass of wine with dinner. Before you know it they're having a second, then the whole bottle, then two bottles...it's why he feeds on animals instead of people."

"So, he's a bloodaholic?"

"Essentially," she sighed. "Look, if my sister wants to try taking down a vampire Stefan's age, that's high on human blood, and doesn't care who gets hurt...let her."

"Well, she kind of needs your help to do it," said Hayley. "He's been compelled to follow you wherever you go – to protect you."

"And my sister wants me to be the bait," she guessed. "She needs me to lure him away somewhere, because Rebekah lives here, now."

"She wants you to lead them both somewhere public – the bonfire tonight. Rebekah will be distracted, and you can lure Stefan away from the crowd and Rebekah."

"Well, it sounds like my sister has it all figured out." Phoebe flopped backwards down onto the bed.

"You don't have to help her, you know?" Hayley advised.

"Yes, I do," Phoebe sighed. "Elena isn't gonna take 'no' for an answer. So, just tell me what she wants me to do."

* * *

"Phoebe will lure Stefan away from the bonfire," Elena reminded. "Then when he's distracted-"

"I'll shoot him," Rick finished for her.

"Is there a reason we're meeting together like this to go over the plan... _ **again**_?" Hayley asked. She sent a pointed look Elena's way.

"We need to make sure everyone knows what to do," said Elena, mildly irritated. "There can't be any slip ups. We won't get another shot at this if we fail, because Stefan will be suspecting it."

"Yeah, I got that the first five times you said it," said Hayley. "But all of us meeting in one room like this, while there's a party going on out there...? Stefan's emotionless right now, now stupid."

Elena bit her tongue and rolled her eyes.

"Look, everyone knows what they have to do. Phoebe knows she has to lure Stefan away, once Rebekah's distracted. Damon knows he has to distract Rebekah with his...charm. Caroline has already prepped her family's vampire jail cell. Rick, Jenna and I will be ready and waiting to drug Stefan and take him away. We all know what to do, when the time comes. But for now, we all need to-"

Hayley's thought was interrupted by Tyler finally showing up. "Sorry I'm late. What's goin' on?"

"We need you to raid your mom's vervain supply. Enough to keep Stefan down for a while," Elena told him.

"You can't do that to Stefan," he argued.

"Why not?" Caroline asked, very much confused.

"Trust me, Tyler, it's in his best interest," Elena argued back.

"But it's not in Klaus'," Tyler countered.

That was when everyone hopped onto the confusion train – everyone, except Damon. Tyler kept going on about how Klaus made him who he was, and that he owed him everything. All the while Damon grabbed a vervain tranquilizer, and jabbed it into Tyler's neck.

"What are you doing?!" Caroline cried.

"He's been sired," Damon defended. "He feels loyal to Klaus because Klaus' blood created him."

"Loyal how?" Hayley asked.

"He'll seek acceptance from his master," Damon answered. "It's really rare. But maybe not so much in hybrids."

"So how do I fix him?" Caroline asked.

"Get a new boyfriend," Damon teased.

Jenna rolled her eyes. "Okay, the plan hasn't changed. Caroline, you take Tyler home. Everyone else, fan out and do whatever it is you're supposed to do."

* * *

The bonfire seemed to be in full swing when they arrived, though Stefan and Phoebe knew it was only just beginning.

"I'm going to go find Tyler," Rebekah announced, her eyes already scanning the crowd for him.

"You're into Tyler, now, huh? Kinda fickle," Stefan teased.

Rebekah halted her departure, but just long enough to throw a response back at Stefan, "When you're willing to give me the time of day again, then we'll talk. Until then, a girl has needs."

Phoebe made no remark about Rebekah's interest in pursuing Tyler, nor did she give any indication that she'd even heard what she said. Stefan looked down at his Gilbert companion. Something seemed to catch her interest, and she took off towards whatever it was.

"You seriously don't have anything to say about that?" he called, following her.

"About what?"

"What Rebekah just said."

"What'd she say?"

"Well, I'm only paraphrasing here, but she basically just laid out her evil plan to steal Tyler away from Caroline," he answered.

Phoebe stopped – she'd reached her destination. "Hmm. I'd have thought she'd have better taste after a thousand years." Phoebe began pumping the tap of the beer keg. She fixed herself a cup, motioned a 'cheers' to Stefan, and added, "To each their own, though."

Stefan watched her down the entire cup of liquid. "Alright, what's going on with you?"

"What do you mean?" she asked, pouring a second cup for herself.

"You hate parties." He gestured to their surroundings. "And yet, here we are."

"I felt like getting out of the house," she lied.

"You don't seem to care that Rebekah is trying to steal your friend's boyfriend," he went on.

Phoebe shrugged. "It's not my problem."

"Not your problem?"

"There is literally nothing I can do to dissuade that woman from stealing Caroline's boyfriend, if she wants him," Phoebe explained. "Next problem?"

Stefan watched her take another big swig of beer. "You're drinking."

"How observant of you," she replied sarcastically.

"I've never seen you drink like this."

"Well, I've kinda been goin' through a hard time, lately." She threw back the last of her beer. "But I understand how you may not have noticed, given how selfish you've been."

"How selfish _**I've**_ been?" He seemed almost offended by the remark.

"Mhmm."

"How have _**I**_ been selfish?"

Phoebe cleared her throat and did her best Stefan impersonation, "Uh, Phoebe, I know your dad just died, and your aunt just became a vampire, and, uh, your brother's girlfriend just died; but I can't handle Klaus forcing me to kill so many innocent people that mean absolutely nothing to me."

Stefan folded his arms across his chest and smiled, "I do not sound like that."

"You're right. There needs to be more...brooding in the tone." She recomposed herself, furrowing her eyes more broodingly. "Phoebe, I, uh...need your help."

Stefan snorted a laugh at the impression. "Just stop. You're making it so much worse."

Phoebe shrugged, smiling a little herself. "The truth is ugly, grumpy fangs."

"Okay, first of all, I do _**not**_ sound like that," he maintained.

"Sure you don't," she mumbled into her drink.

"And secondly," he began. Stefan fixed a careful eye on her, moving in a little closer to her. "I am not broody or grumpy. I don't feel anything, I don't care about anything. The only reason I'm here is to do what Klaus has compelled me to do."

Phoebe moved in closer, too – their faces were now only inches apart. "Then why does it matter if I think you're selfish?" Phoebe didn't wait for an answer, before walking away.

* * *

Candles. Why were there always so many candles involved in witchy ceremonies?

Matt pulled out his pocket knife and cut open the palm of his left hand. It hurt like a bitch. He let it drip down onto a photo of himself with Vicki when they were younger. That was another thing – why was there always so much cutting and bleeding involved in these things?

A message appeared on his phone. "Just concentrate on me, Matty."

"This is too weird," he mumbled.

"Just focus," Vicki messaged. "This is a good thing."

Matt did as she said, despite all the red flags this entire ceremony was sending out to his better senses.

"Now say you accept me," the message instructed.

"I accept you," he proclaimed.

A gust of wind came through from nowhere – very odd, considering he was inside of his house with no windows open. The flames of the candles rose angrily, and he backed away. The photo he had just been bleeding on was smoking – definitely weird.

Matt kept backing away, until he backed straight into Vicki. Instead of passing through her like a normal ghost, she physically reached out and blocked him from moving further back. Matt spun around to see what had stopped him, and his jaw hit the floor.

"Vicki?"

Vicki looked down at her hands. She reached out and touched his arm. The witch had told the truth – the ritual worked.

Both siblings broke out into smiles and sobs of laughter, as they embraced one another. Matt Donovan was no longer alone.

A short time later, Vicki helped dress her brother's wounded hand, before walking around like a fascinated child seeing what all she could feel. It was amazing how alive she felt, despite being dead.

"The witch didn't mention this part?" Matt asked her.

"I mean, it makes sense. Our deal was that she'd help me do what I need to do."

Matt eyed his sister suspiciously – she never mentioned any deal. "What are you talking about? What deal, Vic?"

"Well, if I wanna stay here, I have to help her restore the balance." Her tone was so even and matter-of-fact, it was eerie. "Klaus' hybrids can't be allowed to survive."

"You can't kill Tyler, Vicki," Matt argued. He was appalled that she could be so calm about such a thing.

"Not Tyler, Matt. It's Phoebe who's the key to creating the hybrids," she corrected.

Matt didn't know how to react. His brain tried to process the mere idea of his sister killing his best friend, but couldn't. Vicki headed for the door.

"Vicki, no!" he cried. Matt tried to stop her, but she was one step ahead of him.

Vicki grabbed a nearby pan off the counter and hit her brother over the head with it. "I'm sorry, Matty. But I wanna stay."

* * *

Phoebe had been wandering around aimlessly, watching people do all kinds of stupid things. She currently found herself watching a group of her peers chant while some idiot did a keg-stand. She, of course, hadn't stopped drinking herself, but this just seemed excessive.

She panned around to look elsewhere, and her eyes fell on Stefan. He was leaning against a tree only a few feet away, staring right at her. It appeared that, where she had been people watching, he had been Phoebe watching. Phoebe's typical reaction for moments like this would be to look away awkwardly; yet this time, she found herself returning Stefan's smoldering gaze with one of her own.

Phoebe took a sip of her drink, her eyes never leaving Stefan's dark outline. Stefan did the same. Phoebe tore her eyes away from the normally broody vampire, and walked away to see how his brother – her boyfriend – was fairing with Rebekah.

Stefan followed her. Pressing a hand against the tree Phoebe was leaning against, he leaned in close to her ear, "Ohhh, now, this is interesting."

Phoebe fought against the shivers he was sending down her spine. "What is?"

"Well, my brother's got his flirt on, and you don't seem jealous."

Phoebe turned to the face that was still so close to her own, "Is there some reason I should be?"

"Well, you've been into him for a while now," he noted. "So if you're not bothered by him flirting with other girls, then you're either genuinely not into him anymore; or you guys are up to something, and he's only flirting with her to keep her distracted from something."

"Hmpf. Well, Rebekah's a big girl. She can take care of herself." Phoebe downed the rest of her drink. "Let's blow this popsicle stand."

Stefan grinned widely, casting one last glance back at his brother, before following Phoebe away.

* * *

"Matt! Matt, slow down!" Bonnie called over his excited pleas for forgiveness. He had called her over to his house the moment he woke up, but most of what he had been saying were various forms of apologies. "What happened?"

"I messed up, Bonnie," he admitted, shamefully.

Matt told her everything about how he'd been communicating with Vicki through messages on his phone for the past day or so, and how he had helped her come back, only to find out she wanted to kill his best friend. Bonnie was clearly disappointed in her friend, but at least he'd had the good sense to come to her for help, instead of trying to track Vicki down on his own to stop her.

"You need to tell me exactly what you did to let Vicki out," she told him. "So I know exactly how to send her back."

Matt didn't like that idea. But he liked the idea of his best friend being killed by his dead sister even less. So he sucked up whatever he was feeling, and told her everything she needed to know.

* * *

Tyler woke up on the couch in his father's old office. How did he get here? He looked over and saw Caroline seething in a chair nearby. That explained it...sort of.

Caroline explained to him that he was sired to Klaus now, that he is going to be putting Klaus' needs before anyone else's. Her explanation of this clearly indicated that she was upset by this bit of news. She also wasn't shy about pointing out that since he was made a hybrid, he's been acting like his old self. "The pre-werewolf you. The you that I would never be friends with."

Tyler caught her on her way out the door. "I'm sorry. I don't wanna be that guy. I hated that guy."

"You're a vampire now, Tyler. Everything about your personality is heightened," she told him. "So you have to be careful."

Tyler nodded. "I will. I promise. Just...don't hate me," he pleaded. "Everything I like about me is you."

Caroline felt every trace of anger she felt towards him drain away. With sweet words like those, how could she stay angry with him?

* * *

Phoebe stared up at the night sky from where she laid on the top row of the bleachers. Since she had gotten somewhat of a head start on Stefan, she was able to climb up and lay down before he caught up to her – it wasn't much of a head start, but it was enough to do that much.

"You know, sometimes I hate being a genius," she announced, when she heard him start to climb up towards her. "I can never really shut off my brain, like everyone else. Not even when I'm drunk."

"Come on. Let me take you home," said Stefan.

"I mean, my mind just goes to the most random places." She pointed up to different parts of the sky. "There's Cancer, Pisces, Scorpio. Hmpf. Did you know all three of those are water elements – the emotional element?"

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"It doesn't, that's my point." She sat up, now. "My brain can't just look up at the stars and enjoy the beauty of them, it has to make connections. I looked for Cancer, because that's what I am, and then my brain says I need to point out the other two water elements, and then starts thinking about why they're water elements...Nothing's ever simple for me..."

"You're drunk, Phoebe. Let's just go."

Stefan made the mistake of turningaround to walk down the levels of the bleachers. While he wasn't looking, Phoebe stood up and climbed over the railing.

"What are you, 5?" he asked her, taking notice. "Get down."

"Why? Are you afraid I'm gonna -" Phoebe pretended to lose her grip. Stefan tensed up, but hid it behind an unamused smile. "That was close," she chuckled. "Klaus would not have been happy with you."

Stefan positioned his hands around his mouth to amplify his whisper, "You're hilarious."

"Look, Stefan. No hands." Phoebe held her hands up from the railing, and began to lean backwards. Slammed her hands back down before she could fall to far back.

Stefan's smile vanished, and every muscle in his body tensed. If a vampire could have a heart attack, he'd be on the verge of having one right about now.

Phoebe started to climb back over the railing, but like that scene from _Titanic_ , she slipped. A gasp managed to escape her as she tried to regain her grip, but she never screamed the whole way down.

Stefan raced at full vampire speed to catch her. Phoebe's eyes closed instinctively, just as Stefan caught her – her body had been expecting to make contact with the pavement, not the vampire's cushy arms. Her brown eyes fluttered open, and locked with his hazel ones.

As he stared down at her, Stefan remembered the time he had accompanied her to the hobby store. The way he had lifted her so she could reach the rolls of canvas she wanted. The way he had tossed her up, playfully, and caught her to let her down. His heart smiled at the memory, and for a moment – only a moment – Stefan felt again.

He put her down gently, his eyes falling from her gaze. He couldn't let himself start feeling again. Not like this, not now, and not with his brother's girl. Stefan didn't have to dwell on these thoughts for long, because mere seconds later, he was being shot full of vervain.

The two supernaturals, Jenna and Hayley, loaded Stefan into the back of Rick's car; while Rick helped Phoebe lay down in the backseat. Vicki watched them all, waiting for the right time to strike. That moment came when Jenna and Hayley left to inform the others of their success and await their arrival at the Forbes cell. As soon as they were out of sight, Vicki lit the literal match that sent Rick's car up in flames.

"Phoebe! Phoebe!" Rick called, running around the car to get Phoebe out.

Phoebe sat up slowly, watching the flames spread and grow, but she did nothing to fight for her life. Instead, as she'd mentioned earlier to Stefan, her mind went to an entirely different place.

** _Earlier that night_ **

" _Can I ask you something?" said Isobel._

_Phoebe had found she was able to see and hear Isobel more clearly, after she had come back to life...again. She'd spoken to her a few times now, but sometimes Isobel liked to leave her to check in on Elena, too._

_Phoebe nodded for her to proceed._

" _Why is Elijah so important to you?" she asked. Phoebe made a face. "I heard you tell Klaus that you needed him."_

" _If you heard that, then you know I also said I needed Stefan," Phoebe replied._

" _I did. But you seem to miss Elijah so much more," she pointed out._

" _That's just because he isn't here," said Phoebe. "Stefan – though very different now – is still here. It's kind of hard to miss someone who isn't actually gone."_

" _I see." Isobel still felt Phoebe was missing Elijah more than Stefan, but let that part of the conversation go. "But what makes them so special? You're surrounded by people who love and support you. Why do you_ **need** _them?"_

_Phoebe hesitated briefly, before answering, "Because they're the only ones that would have been honest with me, about what to expect when I became a vampire."_

" _You don't think one of the other four vampires in your life can do that?"_

" _Jenna and Caroline haven't been at this long enough to give me adequate pros and cons. I mean, you'd think that it would be their input I needed most, since I'll be a newborn like they are; but I need other things. Things that they can't give me," said Phoebe. "And Damon is either gonna make everything sound easy and amazing, or he's gonna do everything he can to dissuade me from doing this."_

" _And me?"_

" _...I think you'd be honest with me. But like Caroline and Jenna, you can't give me what I need."_

_Isobel was lost for a second. Then she realized, "A sire."_

" _Not just someone who turns me and then walks away. I need someone to be there to help me through it. To teach me control," she explained._

" _And you think Stefan and Elijah are the only ones capable of doing that?"_

" _Stefan did a great job helping Caroline," said Phoebe. "And Elijah...well, I know it's not the same, but he's pretty well with helping me in the past."_

_Her logic was sound, as always. Still, that left one question. "Then why are you sitting here feeling sorry for yourself, instead of trying to get them back?"_

_Phoebe didn't take the bait – she was too tired to get excited that easily. "Because I'm tired," she answered. "Tired of always fighting for what I want or need."_

" _Sweetheart, you're the Anomaly," Isobel began. "Your life was never meant to be easy. But with friends like Hayley at your side, it can be a bit easier."_

"Phoebe!" Rick shouted. "Phoebe, open the door!"

Phoebe's mind snapped back into the present. She looked over at Rick outside her window, but still didn't try to open the door. Isobel's words rang through her ears: _"Your life was never meant to be easy."_

If her life was always going to be this hard, why even bother? What was the point in fighting to survive? Of course there were people who would miss her, but they'd be doing that anyway if she'd never known about vampires. Of course she still loved those people, but what exactly was she fighting to live for? Phoebe had no answer.

Rick gave up trying to get Phoebe to respond, and ran to a nearby truck to find a tool of some kind. He grabbed a lacrosse net and brought it back to break a window on his car. Nothing. Not even a crack. What was he gonna do now?

Jenna and Hayley came flitting in from nowhere. The horror that greeted them stunned them for only a second. Jenna ran to the back of the vehicle, and tore away the trunk's lift gate. She and Rick pulled Stefan out, and Hayley climbed inside to grab Phoebe.

"Let's go!" she shouted, grabbing hold of her. Hayley's strength and determination gave Phoebe no choice but to go with her. They only barely cleared the car before it exploded.

* * *

Vicki looked around her in surprise. Only a moment ago she was watching Phoebe climb out of the burning car to safety, and now...now she was sitting in her old kitchen, watching Bonnie chant away with Matt.

"What is she doing?" Vicki asked, nervously.

"Fixing my mistake," Matt replied callously.

"Make her stop."

"Bonnie," Matt began.

Bonnie cut him off, as though reading his mind. "The spell is working, Matt. She's still here, because of you."

"Matt, please," Vicki begged.

Matt looked at her angrily, "I can't let you hurt anyone, Vicki, especially not Phoebe."

"I won't. I'll stop. Just, please, don't make me go."

Oh, how he wanted to believe her. But all the red flags that he had suppressed when he brought her back were rearing their ugly heads. "This is wrong," he told her. "You shouldn't be here."

"I'm sorry," she sobbed.

"Goodbye, Vick."

And with his willingness to let her go, the spell worked. Vicki was gone, leaving Matt alone, once more.

* * *

Katherine walked around the mausoleum lighting candles – at least they'd create some light.

"I apologize for my outburst earlier," Mikael apologized. "It would have made more sense had you known that I've been denying myself human blood for as long as I can remember."

Katherine hid an eyeroll. Great. Just what she needed. Another Stefan.

"Why is that you awoke me?"

"I just thought you might know how to kill Klaus." She gave a sarcastic laugh. "But something tells me I've been sorely misinformed."

"I can and will kill Klaus," Mikael maintained. "But I cannot do so from beneath these chains."

Katherine eyed him for a moment, trying to determine if she believed him or not. But what choice did she have? There were no other options – aside from Phoebe who had proven unwilling to do what was needed, and was surrounded by people unwilling to let her even if she were.

Katherine pulled away the chains with ease, suggesting idly that "A little blood will grease those muscles up real quick."

Mikael informed her that he did not feed on living things. Her next question of "what do you eat" proved to be a bad idea. Before she could even register what was happening, Mikael had grabbed her and began sucking the blood from her veins. She would wake up again, albeit hungry, but alive. And Mikael would be strong enough to go in search of Klaus.

* * *

"What the hell was that?" Hayley was pissed, and still couldn't believe what she had seen.

"Probably just witched trying to kill me...again," Phoebe shrugged.

"No, I'm talking about what _**you**_ did. Or rather _**didn't**_ do." Hayley's gaze was very tense. "Why did you just sit there?"

"Because I'm tired," Phoebe snapped. "I'm tired of fighting just to live. Of being knocked down and always having to climb back up just to be knocked down again. I am tired of fighting to live, when...I have no idea what I'm trying to live for."

Hayley couldn't believe what she was hearing. "So, what, you're just gonna kill yourself? None of us mean anything to you anymore?"

"Of course you do, Hayley. You'll always be important to me."

"Just not important enough to live for apparently," she noted bitterly.

"...Having a reason to keep fighting, and having people who still want you around are two different things," said Phoebe. "I'm not suicidal. I know that's exactly what it sounds like, but I'm not. I just don't care enough to fight Death anymore, when he comes to collect me – and he will be back for me." Phoebe, feeling there was nothing more to discuss, left Hayley alone to process.

Hayley just stood there – she didn't know what to say. What could she say? This wasn't like Phoebe at all; but when you'd been through everything Phoebe had, you were allowed to get a little depressed. But Phoebe frequently found herself in danger, and if she wasn't going to fight for herself anymore, how were they going to keep her alive? There was still Stefan. He had been compelled by Klaus to keep her alive, so there was some small comfort in that. But that was a band aid, at best. Hayley wasn't sure what, but she had to do something to get Phoebe caring about her own life again.

* * *

"Really got me tonight," Stefan remarked, joining Phoebe in the library. "Definitely wasn't expecting that."

"I think that was the point," Phoebe replied, staring off into space.

"You know, you can hate it all you want, but you need me."

Phoebe hid a flinch at his choice of words.

"I'll always protect you," he went on. "You're better off having me around, Phoebe. I think tonight proved that."

"Yeah. I know," she admitted. "But if I hadn't played along tonight, Elena would have talked me to death about how we can't give up on you."

Stefan sank into the chair to her left, drink in hand. "Hmm. Yeah, that sounds like Elena alright."

The front door slammed in the distance. Both Stefan and Phoebe looked in the general direction of the sound. Phoebe was hoping it wasn't Damon or someone else coming home to scold her for her behavior tonight, like Hayley had. She was thankful when Stefan informed her it was only Hayley leaving.

"Your pet seems upset with you."

"She's not my pet," Phoebe corrected, shooting him a look. "And she's upset because I told her I don't care to fight anymore. It doesn't get me anywhere except into more trouble and misery, so...for all intents and purposes, I've shut my humanity off, like you."

"Well, good for you." He hopped up and fixed another drink for Phoebe. "You and I are always spending too much time worrying about everyone else and how we feel. We deserve a break."

Phoebe stared into the glass of bourbon, and nodded. "Yeah, but not here."

Stefan didn't seem to following her thought process – she didn't have to look at him to know that.

"Hayley is no doubt going home to tell my family and Damon that I've given up hope. They'll add getting my humanity back to their list of things to do, along with saving you and killing Klaus." Phoebe looked over at Stefan. "None of them are gonna rest until they have us both caring again. The only way we're gonna be able to relax and go about our carefree lives is to leave town. Preferably wherever Klaus is, because when they come looking for us – and they will come looking for us – they're not gonna wanna tango with him and his hybrid army."

Stefan looked like he did when Damon was picking on him, and as funny as it may be, he was not amused. "Okay, I see what you're doing. You're trying to get me to take you to Klaus, so you can -"

"I said it would be preferable," Phoebe cut him off. "We can go anywhere in the world you wanna take me, I don't care where. Just as long as it's far away from here."

Stefan's face said he still didn't believe her. She rolled her eyes, putting her drink down on the end table between them. "Believe me or don't, Stefan. But I am leaving Mystic Falls, and since you're compelled to protect me, you're gonna have to follow. So one way or another, we are leaving town."

Phoebe stood up and began making her way out of the library. She only managed to make it as far as up the steps, before Stefan flitted up to her, cornering her between himself and the bookshelves.

"If you're trying to get me alone, because you all somehow think that you're gonna be my key to feeling again, you're wrong," he told her.

Phoebe sighed, looking almost bored, "I'm not."

Stefan moved in closer, placing his hands against the books on either side of her. "Good. Because this..."

He leaned in, his lips hovered teasingly a paper's thickness away from hers. Phoebe swallowed nervously, but did her best to maintain a neutral face – she knew this was just a power move, that he was trying to get under her skin. Still, this moment felt like it was lasting an eternity, and she found herself actually _**wanting**_ him to kiss her.

Stefan turned his face away from hers, and leaned in close to her ear. "...Makes me feel nothing," he finished.

Phoebe closed her eyes and bit her lip. This was twice now in one week that she was finding herself sexually attracted to someone she shouldn't. Damon really needed to step up his game. She felt Stefan pulling back away from her, so she returned her face back to neutral – or as neutral as she could.

"Good," she told him. "'Cause that did nothing more me, either."

Stefan fought a laugh – he knew she was lying. "Good to know."

Phoebe ducked under one of his arms, and made her way out of the library. "We leave tomorrow."

"Yes, ma'am," Stefan mumbled, smirking to himself.


	52. Chapter 52: Ordinary People

Chapter 53: Ordinary People

_"_ _Memories are strange things. How exactly does your brain decide what's worth remembering and what isn't? Why is it we can remember the worst nightmare we've ever had in almost perfect detail; but when we go to the grocery store for milk, it's always the one thing we forget to buy while we're there? How is it you can remember a single, insignificant dream, when all other memories seem to be leaving you? When your mind betrays you, how does it decide that one dream is worth you remembering?_

_"_ _My heart was pounding in my chest, and my breathing was labored. I was running hard and fast, leaping over anything in my path. I wasn't running for the fun of it, or even towards something I was excited about. I was running_ **away** _from something- some_ **one** _. Someone that terrified me._

_"_ _I looked back to see if my pursuer was still after me, and if so, how close. He was definitely still following me, and he was getting closer – but isn't that how dreams always go? I'm not sure why I was scared of him. He didn't look frightening in any sense of the word, he wasn't a monster. He hadn't hurt me, and I hadn't witnessed him committing some horrible atrocity. And still, I ran in utter terror of him._

_"_ _Ahead I saw my exit. Like anything else in dreams, you just know what's bad and what's good. There's never any sense of logic, only gut feeling. And my gut told me that the dark, and otherwise ominous doorway up ahead lead to safety. If I could just reach it I'd be safe from the man._

_"_ _I was almost there when shackles suddenly appeared around my wrists. I turned back to see where they were coming from. If I could find where they were anchored, then maybe I could...But they weren't anchored anywhere. Their grip was still firm, and they were holding fast, but they weren't anchored to anything I could see. How was that possible?_

_"_ _I heard the man laugh at my misfortune. He was getting closer. I wheeled back around to run. I'm not sure how I expected to do this, given I was still shackled. Maybe I thought that with enough force I could break the chains and be free. Or maybe I was just so scared that hysterics dictated my flight responses and told me to run, even though it was pointless. I don't know. But when I turned to run, someone was standing there._

_"_ _I stared at the man before me in surprise. My first instinct was to scream, but who would hear me? No one would come to my aid. And as I took the time to look at who it was I realized that this was not the man who had been chasing me. This man didn't frighten me, he never had. On the contrary, he made me feel...safe._

_"_ _Instinctively, I threw my arms around his neck, and he pulled me close. I wasn't sure how I was even able to do that, until I noticed that the shackles had disappeared. The man chasing me had disappeared. My fear had disappeared. All there was, all that mattered, was him - the man in my arms. The man who had chased away my fears and made me feel safe. My hero...my...Elijah..._

_"_ _I don't have an actual date for when I had this dream, because I don't remember. All I remember is the dream itself and that I had it almost every night for a week. I don't even know_ **why** _I had this dream. What does it even mean? Hayley would tell me it means that I was in love with Elijah, or something like that, but I don't believe that. There has to be something else to it._

_"_ _If it had been just one night, fine. Not every dream has to have meaning. They are our way of working through issues in our sleep, after all, there doesn't need to be anything deeper to them. But for an entire week? You don't have the same dream all week and then remember it so clearly, even after you start losing your mind, for nothing. Anyway, onto things I can put meaning behind and a date on._

_"_ _September 3, 2010._

_"_ _I'm not sure how true this all is, because I wasn't exactly there for it all; but I was filled in once I returned home. I warn you now, future me. All of what you're about to read is based on what I've been told by Hayley and everyone else who was there to witness our town going Ghostbusters._

_"_ _Stefan and I actually left town the night of the bonfire. I lied when I said that we were leaving the next day, because I had no idea what vampires or dead loved ones were listening. I figured while they were busy trying to stop us – with the false assumption of having more time – and while Hayley was busy trying to plan an intervention for me, Stefan and I would have a better chance of leaving._

_"_ _I suppose I could have just said nothing at all, but this way was so much easier. How, you ask? Because when I texted Stefan to tell him that we needed to actually leave that night, because there was no telling who was listening to us, blah, blah, blah, that was all I had to do. If I hadn't already spoken to him about wanting to leave before, I would have had to have that entire conversation with him about just wanting to leave town, etc, etc. And then whoever might have been within earshot would have heard that we were actually leaving at that moment, and they'd have stopped us. See? Clever. There is a method to my madness, ya know._

_"_ _Anyway, the day after we left – the date I wrote above – was the day our town became a ghost town. Apparently the witch that sent Vicki after me used Bonnie's reversal spell to wedge the door to our plane wide open, or something like that. Basically, any supernatural ghost with unfinished business was welcome to come on over to our plane of existence and do whatever they wanted._

_"_ _Tomb vampires that burned up in my family's old building – or were killed by Stefan and Damon – came looking for revenge. The werewolves that we killed to get Caroline back came looking for me, of all people. I mean, I killed a few of them, and Elijah killed the others for what they did to me, and then I traded Jules over to Klaus to be sacrificed...Okay, I guess I can see where they_ **might** _be a little pissed. But bad supernaturals weren't the only ones to come back._

_"_ _Lexi came back to help talk Elena through a Ripper Stefan detox. Her original plan was to instruct me on the process – I'm guessing it's because I have the stronger stomach, but I honestly don't know. Anyway, I was nowhere to be found, so she had to make do with Elena. Which brings me to Isobel. Isobel was the one to inform everyone that I had already left town with Stefan, with no clue as to where we were going. It was heavily on the awkward side for Jenna and Rick, having her around; but it was necessary, and it wasn't like she was around them in particular for any length of time. She mostly spent time with Damon._

_"_ _When things first began, Isobel was at the Boarding House. She found Damon tied to a chair with a hot poker shoved in his chest. Compliments of Mason Lockwood. He wasn't out to kill him, just to get a little payback for what Damon did to him. Mason, too, was hoping to see me that day – see what I mean, always needed for something. He'd found some cavern with ancient writings on the walls, that he was hoping could help us in getting rid of Klaus. But since I wasn't there, Damon and Hayley went with him._

_"_ _When it came out that Elena's necklace was the key to sending all of them back to the other side, Isobel stole the necklace. That damn necklace…Sorry. Everyone thought it was Anna – who was also there with Jeremy. I'm not entirely sure how they discovered it was our mother that had the necklace, but she apparently took it to have more time with both of her daughters. She not only missed me, but felt guilty that in all the time that she had been alive, she had spent more time with me than Elena._

_"_ _But the door had to be closed. The vengeful vampires and werewolves needed to be sent back to where they'd come from. So she gave them the necklace and Bonnie sent them all back. I was told her Grams helped with that. I guess she was one of the nicer supernatural ghosts to come back for a visit, too._

_"_ _September 10, 2010._

_"_ _Stefan and I have been gone for several days, now. Since we left our cell phones behind to prevent any temptations about returning for one crisis or another, we can only assume that everyone is less than pleased with our decision to leave. But, as you might have suspected, that didn't really bother us._

_"_ _I figured that the biggest mistake would be to stay somewhere they'd be able to easily find us. Since the brothers alone have traveled the continental US for the last 150-ish years, I figured we should go somewhere else. That, and Stefan was still far too suspicious to take me directly to Klaus; so we hopped on a plane, and traveled to Europe. Even if the others discovered that we left the country, they didn't know the area nearly well enough to find us._

_"_ _We traveled around for the first couple of days, before finally deciding to go to Italy. I know, I know. Sounds too obvious, right? Wrong!_ **If** _the others found out that we weren't even in the country anymore, and_ **if** _they came looking for us in Europe, they would be assuming that I would avoid any of the obvious places. That I would go somewhere, like Paris – I've never been all that interested in going to France. They wouldn't expect us to go somewhere so obvious; and once they did come to the possibility of us doing that, we would be long gone._

_"_ _Italy was just all around perfect. Stefan and I could both speak the language, which made it easier to blend in and hide. We told everyone that we were newlyweds here on our honeymoon – with Stefan following me everywhere, it made it easy to believe. I argued against it, but Stefan insisted on getting us rings to wear before we even arrived in Italy ("No one is going to believe we're newlyweds if we aren't wearing rings, Phoebe.")._

_"_ _Stefan insisted we behave like a newly married couple in love – kissing on the lips instead of just the cheek or hands all the time – but that was where I drew the line. I may not have cared about fighting to live anymore, but that didn't mean I was okay with kissing Stefan, just to convince a few random people that we really were in love. I know that we did it once before to convince Klaus, but those were entirely different circumstances._

_"_ _Aside from the awkwardness of having to pretend to be married to my sister's ex/my boyfriend's brother, I had an amazing time. And if I'm being honest, I think Stefan did, too. We did all the typical things you do when you go on a trip to Italy: tours, restaurants, gondola rides, etc. Made our story about being newlyweds seem more authentic. We even pretended to struggle with the language and get some things wrong. I was having more fun than I had in ages. But all good things must come to an end._

_"_ _I had been having so much fun – and without Hayley there to remind me – I had been neglecting to take my medications as instructed. I know, how could you forget to take your medicine? Wouldn't you have been feeling horrible, and thus remembered? Honestly, no._

_"_ _When you're sitting around, bored and generally unhappy, it's easy to feel sick and in need of your medicines. When there's a climax of supernatural drama that requires you to be at the top of your game, and so you overload yourself with caffeine to be sharp, you eventually crash and feel the need for your medicines. But when you're relaxing for the first time in forever, with just a moderate dose of excitement to keep things interesting, you don't notice how sick you actually are. You just generally don't feel sick. You feel amazing._

_"_ _On the morning of September 10_ _th_ _, I paid for that neglect..."_

Phoebe woke up that morning feeling as though she were coming down with a cold. Her head ached and felt bloated from the stuffiness of her nose, and each cough made her head throb in agony. She felt nauseous from the nasal drip. Everything just felt wrong and bad, and it seemed to come on over night.

"You look terrible," Stefan remarked. There was zero concern in his tone.

Phoebe glared at his fuzzy outline from where she lay on the bed. She was curled up on her left side, trying to reduce the nausea. "I **_feel_** terrible."

"Well, I guess I'll be flying solo today." He headed for the door. "See ya later!" he called back.

"Wait, you can't…leave me like this," Phoebe argued between coughs. "What are people gonna say if you…go out without your new bride?"

Stefan stopped and turned back. "Uh, that you're sick and you wanted me to get out of the hotel so you wouldn't make me sick, too. Don't worry. I'll tell them such a heartfelt story of how I didn't want to leave my new bride alone, and so sick, but that she was so insistent that I leave to save myself for a few hours."

Phoebe scoffed. "They'll never buy it."

"Sure they will. I'll pick you up some medicine while I'm out. Make it look authentic."

Phoebe froze. "Medicine…Oh, no," she moaned rolling out of bed.

"If you're gonna throw up, that's my queue to leave."

Phoebe tore through her luggage, searching for something. "Throwing up is the least of your worries right now, Stefan."

Stefan was lost. "What are you talking about?"

"I need you to help me find a jar of herbs." She was throwing clothes and things everywhere trying to find it.

"Why?"

"Just help me find it!" she snapped.

Stefan seemed unphased by her outburst. "Wow. What is it with these herbs?"

"I need them to…heal me, because I've been a total…idiot and haven't taken my…medicine." She was starting to panic, now. Where the hell were those herbs? What if she hadn't packed them? She was sure she had.

"What medicine? What are you talking about?"

Phoebe slammed something down in frustration. "What is with the twenty questions? Just help me…find it."

Stefan made the same face he had when Phoebe first mentioned leaving Mystic Falls.

"This isn't a game, Stefan. This isn't a ploy to get you to feel again."

"Isn't it? You all sick and panicky like your life depends on it?"

"My life does depend on it," she argued. She coughed again, hard. Her mouth tasted like blood, and when she looked at her hand she found a small bit of it on her palm. Phoebe held it up to show Stefan. "Does this look like a trick to you?"

Stefan looked at the blood, and then her face. "Has to be. You've never gotten like this before, when you missed your medicine."

"That's because I wasn't dying before." Phoebe's face was dead serious, she didn't even blink.

All amusement had vanished from Stefan's expression. It was like the night of the bonfire all over again. His concern was starting to show through. "What are you talking about?"

"It's the witches. They don't want Klaus to…be able to make hybrids, so they've been…trying to accelerate my condition all summer." This wasn't exactly how she wanted to tell him, but if it got him to help her find those herbs…Phoebe held up the bag of prescription bottles and various other supplements. "These help slow the process and hide just how…sick I am from everyone. But it's not a cure. And I've…forgotten to take them since we got here. I need to make a tea out of…the herbs, and that'll…undo some of my neglect."

Stefan tried to process all of this. Could it be true? It certainly sounded plausible, but that's what Phoebe was best at. She could make just about anything sound logical and you'd believe it. She hadn't seemed sick this summer – what little he saw of her. But she said the medications helped hide it from everyone. Could be a convenient lie, though.

Phoebe felt herself growing light-headed. Between the coughing and all the excitement, she couldn't take it anymore. She collapsed.

Something snapped into place inside of Stefan, and he raced to her side. She was alive, but unconscious, and her breathing wasn't even remotely good. He picked her up and placed her in the bed carefully, then went on his own hunt for the herbs.

He couldn't find a jar of herbs, but there was a small box of handmade tea bags. Stefan could only assume that these had been made from the herbs Phoebe was looking for – or so he hoped. He quickly filled a cup of hot tap water, steeped a bag for what felt like an eternity, then brought it to Phoebe.

"Phoebe. Phoebe, wake up, I need you to drink this," he coached, sitting next to her on the bed. He lifted her head and brought the cup to her lips. "I don't know if this is the right tea, but I hope it is."

Phoebe did her best to do as he said, but it was hard. It was like when you wake up in the middle of the night, needing to pee, but your eyelids won't stay open long enough for you to get up and go. Not to mention the tea tasted awful.

Stefan managed to get her to drink a few big sips before she passed out again. He stayed by her side, encouraging her to drink more anytime she showed the slightest hint of being awake. He did notice, however, that after a while her breathing seemed to get better.

When Phoebe woke up completely, Stefan was cleaning up the mess she had made. "Stefan?" she groaned, sitting up.

Stefan dropped what he was doing and went to her side. "Hey, how are you feeling?"

"Better." She looked him over. "How are **_you_** feeling?"

"Worried," he answered, smirking.

Phoebe mirrored his smirk. "Good. So where'd you find the herbs?"

"Uh, not in a jar," he told her. "They were made into tea bags."

Realization hit Phoebe. "Oh, yeeeaaah. I forgot I did that. I made them into tea bags so it would be easier to brew them when – **_if_** – I needed them."

"How do you forget something like that?"

Phoebe shrugged.

Stefan shook his head and smiled. "What am I gonna do with you?"

"Divorce me?" Stefan looked confused, until Phoebe held up her left hand. They both laughed.

After a bit of a pause, Stefan became serious. "Phoebe…Why didn't you tell me? All summer we talked, and you never said a word."

"You had enough on your plate," she replied honestly. "Besides, I had a plan. I still do."

"What plan? There's no cure for this illness. Unless the witches have agreed to let you live if you kill Klaus, I doubt they're gonna allow any form of a cure exist."

"No, definitely not," she agreed. "But a loophole…"

Stefan looked uneasy. "What loophole?"

Phoebe just looked at him.

Either he caught onto what she was leading up to, or he read her mind, but one way or another Stefan made his disapproval of her plan very known. "No. No, no, no, no, no."

"You sound like Damon."

"You've discussed this with Damon?"

"Definitely not. He's probably gonna be firmly against it," she said.

"Good!"

"Stefan…"

"Phoebe, you don't want this. Trust me."

"It's my **_only_** option, Stefan. There is no cure, there is no pleading with the witches, there is no other option for me." She looked at him, mild hurt in her eyes. "I thought you of all people would understand."

Stefan took a deep breath and sighed. "No, I do understand, I just…I hate that something like this is being forced onto you. I'll admit, I don't understand why anyone would want to become this. But slowly killing you like they're doing, forcing you into this…They're no different from people like Katherine who turn others against their will to suit her own personal desires."

"I know." Phoebe reached out and took his hand in hers. "That's why I've been wanting to talk this out with everyone. Let them come to terms with it all, like I have. I don't want them to feel like the inevitability of me being a vampire is being forced onto them. I need everyone not to hate me. And if some of them decide they no longer want me in their lives after I turn, then I'd rather know now. But things have just been so…crazy lately. I haven't had the chance to talk to everyone."

"Phoebe, no one could hate you," said Stefan. "Especially not for doing what you need, just to live."

Phoebe shrugged. "Some people might decide they don't want a vampire in their life."

"Some people as in Matt?"

Phoebe's eyes fell. "He did it before, with Caroline."

"That was different," he defended. "He didn't want to date her anymore. You're his best friend. You've been his best friend his entire life. He isn't just gonna throw that away over your change of species."

Phoebe smiled a little. "I guess we'll see."

* * *

_"_ _Stefan and I stayed another day to prepare ourselves. After the way we had both behaved, we didn't really wanna go back home so soon, but we knew we had to. And we couldn't tell the others the truth about how we had both come back from the abyss. Seems harmless enough to say that I just had a nice vacation, and then Stefan was concerned for his friend's life when he saw me dying; but that's not what others would hear._

_"_ _Damon alone would hear that I played house with his brother, and became happy again, because I pretended to be his wife for a week. He would hear that Stefan's love for me is what brought his emotions back, when he saw me dying. Hell, at this point, I think even Elena would hear the same thing. Not that I could really blame them._

_"_ _We decided to tell them that we were constantly moving around Europe to hide from them. We told them that my behavior had been an act to win Stefan's trust. That I left town with him to get him alone, so I could lull him into a false sense of security, and then use my empathy powers to bring his emotions back on. Technically, that could have worked. I could have forced him to feel again with my powers. But I just didn't care enough to think of it at the time._

_"_ _When we got back to Mystic Falls, we were greeted with angry faces. That was to be expected. But I found myself thankful that the three most difficult faces to face weren't in town. Damon, Hayley, and Elena were out chasing a lead on me and Stefan._

_"_ _While we all waited for them to get home, Rick filled me in on the cave writings that Mason had shown them. Rick had been trying to decipher them, but the process was going slowly. Apparently everyone had been focused on finding us, and stopping me from becoming a walking blood bag for Klaus – which is what they thought I was doing. No amount of apologizing feels like enough."_

_"_ _September 15, 2010._

_"_ _Stefan and I have been back for a few days, now. Everyone seems to have forgiven me for taking off to carry out whatever plan I felt was better than theirs, without telling them...again. Hayley knows that the story I told was total bull, but respects that I don't want to talk about the fact that I really was depressed, or what it was that brought me back. Honestly, I think she's just happy that I've gotten over it and I'm back to normal._

_"_ _I'm not sure what Stefan did with his things, but I made a box. It's kind of like an ex-boyfriend box, from what I understand of them. You put in all the reminders and keepsakes from your time together, and hide it away for the day when you're ready to look at it again. I put away all the evidence from our time in Italy, and hid it away. I had fun with my friend, and I want to keep those reminders. I just have to hide them from others who may be hurt by knowledge of the vacation. But that is in no way to be interpreted as feelings of guilt. I don't regret having a good time with Stefan. I just don't want to hurt my sister or Damon._

_"_ _I've been trying to help Rick with the cave translations, since I got back, but without understanding how the pieces all fit together, I can't be of much help. Rick's tried organizing his images the way they're depicted on the cave walls, but it doesn't help. It's like looking at a puzzle with the pieces all in the right place, but some of those pieces are turned the wrong way._

_"_ _I need to see the walls as a whole, and take some video of it all. Maybe then I can recreate it somehow and get a better picture. To make a more full picture, for both of us, Rick and I can clear a section of wall at his loft, cover it with paper – you know, that cheap banner paper people get to make, well, banners? – and once I get some video footage of the general overview, I can draw the pictographs on it – essentially recreating the wall of the cavern. That's the plan for today, at least."_

* * *

Rick led the way through the narrow, zigzagging caves. "The Lockwoods had no idea these were even under here, according to Mason."

Phoebe shined her light all around, taking in her damp, dark surroundings.

"Careful where you shine that thing. Bats hate the light," Rick warned.

Phoebe stopped. "Wait, what?"

"Phoebe!" came a loud whisper.

She turned quickly to see what or who was calling her name. Damon popped out at her from the darkness, "Boo!"

Phoebe jumped and gasped.

"Scaredy-cat," he teased.

She reached out to hit him, but he caught her hand and kissed it instead. Phoebe gave him a mild smirk. She was happy he was no longer mad at her.

"Just ignore him," Rick called back, not even looking. "That's what I do."

Phoebe and Damon both resumed following Rick through the intricate cave system, holding hands behind Rick's back.

"So vampires really can't get in?" Phoebe asked.

"Nope. Seems even the ancient Lockwoods were anti-vampire," Damon replied.

"What do you mean 'ancient'?"

"See for yourself." Damon gestured to a small cavern that Rick had just entered, the walls of which were covered in ancient writings.

Phoebe's eyes widened at the sight, "Whoa."

Damon couldn't go any further, but he held her hand to help her with the step down.

"As far as I can tell, it's a story," said Rick. "A really, really old story."

"Any idea what it says?" Phoebe asked.

Rick shined his light at a specific spot on the wall. "That right there is a moon cycle. A man. A wolf."

"A werewolf," Phoebe guessed.

"It's the Lockwood Diaries, pictionary style," Damon joked. He wasn't wrong.

Phoebe's eyes were drawn to another part of the wall. There was a small section that appeared to be writing of some kind – words.

"Yeah, I noticed that, too," Rick remarked, noticing her attention on it. "They're words written in runic form – an old Viking script."

"They're not words," said Phoebe, moving closer to them. "They're names."

Damon made a face, "Don't tell me you can read that."

"Tolkien, he used ancient Viking script for the Dwarvish alphabet," she called back, without even looking. Phoebe pointed to the different names, reading them each aloud to the two men.

"They're the names of the Original family," said Damon.

Rick stared in amazement at the list of names, "They were here a thousand years ago, carving their names into this wall. But why?"

Phoebe reached out to touch one of the names, wondering the same thing. Did they write the story on the walls, too? Or did they just write their names? As her fingers traced the letters of Elijah's name on the wall, Phoebe's mind was flooded with a strange vision.

She was still in the same cavern, looking at the same wall, but the names were all gone. The story removed from the walls as well, and her companions had been exchanged for two others – Klaus and Rebekah.

"Rebekah, let me have at it," said Klaus.

Rebekah was carving away at the wall, trying to etch her name into its face, while Klaus held the torch for light. Both siblings were dressed in traditional ancient Viking fashion, and neither appeared to be able to see Phoebe – not that she tried terribly hard to get their attention.

"Quiet, Niklaus," Rebekah replied. "I'm to have my concentration, if I'm not to slice off a finger."

"Father will not like you handling the blade," he muttered.

Rebekah paused for a moment to address her brother, "If I want to wield a blade, I shall wield a blade. Father need not know."

"He will find out. He always does."

"That is because you always tell him," she snapped, turning to face him.

"I cannot help it," he said sheepishly. "He frightens me."

Phoebe was surprised. Not only to hear that Klaus was afraid of something, but to see him so...timid.

"He frightens us all. That is why we stick together as one, always and forever," Rebekah comforted. Klaus still avoided looking up at her, so she added teasingly, "Right, traitor?"

Klaus smiled, "Right."

"Here, you finish. I'm to help mother with the meal." Rebekah held the knife out to her brother.

"Yes. Go tend to dinner. Leave the blades to the men, little sister," he teased back.

Rebekah slapped the knife, blade down, into the palm of his hand. Klaus grunted in pain.

"It's just a little blood. Be a man about it."

Klaus watched her walk away, then looked down at the small cut in his hand, before going to work on the wall.

Phoebe felt herself become lightheaded as everything suddenly returned to normal. Rick and Damon were talking about the possibility of this being one of Klaus fakes, so they hadn't even noticed that Phoebe had been standing there for the past couple of minutes – or maybe they thought she was busy thinking to herself. Whatever the reason, they noticed when she stumbled away from the wall.

Rick caught her and helped guide her to somewhere she could sit down. "Whoa, hey. Phoebe, you okay?"

"Yeah, I just..." Phoebe looked back at the names, and debated whether she should tell them what she saw or not. She didn't exactly see anything all that important.

"Just what?" Damon asked, annoyed more than ever that he couldn't enter the room.

"Nothing," she replied. Phoebe flashed him a smile. "Just a little vertigo."

* * *

Phoebe flipped through the loose images – close ups – of the pictographs in the cave. She compared them to the recreation drawing she'd just finished on Rick's wall to make sure that everything was just right.

"Okay, so these images tell a story. And to learn the story, you have to decipher these images," Phoebe noted aloud to herself.

"The Ghost of Christmas Past, Mason Lockwood, said that the cave would lead us to a weapon that could kill Klaus," said Damon.

"Yeah, but doesn't Mikael have a weapon?" Hayley pointed out.

"Yes, which probably means the wall will lead us to Mikael, who we've already found and lost," Damon replied, irritably.

"These images, at the very least, might tell us what that weapon is," Rick argued.

"Then all we have to do is find out what they mean," Phoebe agreed.

"And what if they lead us to you?" Hayley gestured to Phoebe. "No offense, but even Elijah said that you were supposed to be the weapon to kill Klaus."

Phoebe shook her head. "I don't think that's the case here. I wasn't even an idea until long after this." She gestured to the cave writings.

"How do you know?"

"Because then I would be Katherine Pierce's twin sister, not Elena Gilbert's."

Everyone made various faces that said 'true'.

"Well, fine. Fine. But if I'm being irritatingly optimistic like you three, how do you suppose we translate these stick figures?" Damon asked. "Rick's been trying for almost two weeks, you've been trying half that. If you can't decipher this, I don't know who can."

Phoebe looked at Hayley apologetically.

Hayley had no clue why. "What?"

"If Elijah were here, I know he'd help us. If I knew where to find him, I'd undagger him and bring him here to help. But he isn't here, and I don't know where he is. I don't even know where to begin to look for him." Phoebe said all this more to Hayley than anyone. She knew Hayley wasn't going to like her suggestion of what to do next, and she wanted to make sure Hayley heard her explanation **_before_** hearing her suggestion.

Hayley eyed her suspiciously. What was she thinking?

"I think I might be able to use divination to look into the past. To see this whole story playing out, before it was even written," Phoebe suggested.

"Absolutely not," Hayley objected. "Do you have any idea how much power that would require? You've only ever used that power to see an image of Elijah. An **_image_**. You're talking about using it to experience and entire story."

"Yeah, didn't you almost die last time you tried to use that much power?" Damon chimed in.

Phoebe held up her hands defensively. "That was different."

"How?"

"You mean aside from the fact that I was powering up to unleash hell on earth onto Klaus?" she asked rhetorically. "This won't be anything remotely as powerful as that, and I was very weak that night. In more than one meaning of the word...Look, I know I can do this. I'll take frequent breaks to rest, and anything else you want. Just trust me. Have faith in me, like you always have." She addressed the last to Hayley.

"How do you know you'll even see this story?" Rick wondered aloud. "When you saw Elijah's face, you were just wondering what he looked like. Something this big...I think you're gonna need a little more than a simple sink filled with water and passing curiosity."

Phoebe glanced at Damon, then turned to Rick. "I've got personal items of Klaus and Elijah to try focusing me on them. I've got the images of these pictographs running through my brain; I see them when I sleep. As for more water, I've got an idea on that." Phoebe looked back at Hayley. "I just need to know I have your blessing to do this. I've been selfish lately, and I don't want to do this if any of you aren't comfortable."

Damon didn't like the sound of her having 'personal items' of Klaus and Elijah. Why would she have something like that? When did she have time to get so chummy with Klaus for him to give her something of value like that?

Hayley thought it over in her head. She didn't like Phoebe taking such a risk. If she knew about what had happened in Italy, she'd have liked it even less. But from what she did know, she couldn't bring herself to tell Phoebe she couldn't do something. It was dangerous, yes, but Phoebe was agreeing to be careful. To take breaks and rest when she needed. And if she could agree to do that, then Hayley could agree to this.

She sighed, and nodded her approval to Phoebe.

* * *

"Couldn't you have just used a bath tub? You know, like, the one we have at home?" Damon questioned.

Phoebe and Hayley were setting up a rectangular kiddy pool in the main area of Rick's apartment. It was shallow enough for Phoebe not to drown, but deep enough to contain a generous amount of water, and long enough for her to lay down in it to submerge herself in the water.

"If we do it here at Rick's then it's easier for him to check with the story and make sure I'm in the right place," said Phoebe. "Or just go along with the drawings and maybe translate a few of them based off of what I tell him that I see."

Damon made a face that said he reluctantly agreed with her explanation. "But why not a bath tub? Wouldn't that be easier than blowing up a kiddy pool and filling it with water?"

"Probably," she admitted. "But bathrooms weren't built for multiple people to convene together for something. They're built for one or two people to get in, do what you need to do, and get out. Besides, if I have you all standing around me in the bathtub I'm not going to be able to focus on anything but you guys all staring at me in the bath."

"Got it!" Jenna called, entering the apartment. She held out a small ring box for Phoebe.

"Thanks." Phoebe opened the box and peered down at Klaus' daylight ring. She'd taken it off and put it away after the events of Senior Prank Night.

"Is that what I think it is?" Rick asked, looking at it over her shoulder.

"Yep. Klaus' daylight ring."

"Apparently he didn't need it anymore when he became a hybrid," Hayley explained.

"And he just...gave it to you?" Rick questioned.

"More or less," said Phoebe. She slid the ring onto her right index finger.

"And what, pray tell, do you have from the noble Elijah?" Damon asked. There was more than a hint of jealousy in his voice.

Phoebe reached her hand over to fiddle with the bracelet from Elijah, like she often did. Damon noticed this. He had noticed her doing it quite a lot, lately. It was almost becoming a nervous habit, like biting your nails.

Damon just nodded in understanding and looked away.

Phoebe moved in closer to talk to him more privately, while the others went about doing other things. "Don't be jealous, okay? It was a gift he gave me when my dad died. He left it for me with a note, telling me how sorry he was about my loss. That's it."

Damon, using all of his strength, did his best to suppress his jealousy. He forced a smile and shrugged, "Okay. If you say so." But his jealousy was far from gone. The circumstances under which she had received the bracelet meant he couldn't turn this into an argument, but it still left him with a lot of questions. Namely, why did she never take it off?

"I do say so," said Phoebe. She glanced over her shoulder to make sure no one was watching, then took his hand and kissed it. "I love you," she mouthed.

Damon twitched a smile - that made him feel a little better. "I love you, too," he mouthed back.

While Phoebe had been working on keeping Damon's jealousy in check, and Rick filled the pool with water, Jenna and Hayley discussed Damon and Phoebe.

"So how long has that been going on?" Jenna gestured to Damon and Phoebe whispering to themselves.

Hayley shrugged, playing dumb.

Jenna gave her a look.

"Since May," Hayley admitted.

Jenna didn't seem too surprised. "It won't last."

"Not that I don't agree, but why do you say that?"

"Don't get me wrong, they both clearly love each other. But…" Jenna glanced back to make sure Damon wasn't listening in. "…they're both in this for the wrong reasons. For Damon, it's what's comfortable - they've been going back and forth for a year now. And for Phoebe? It's all logic. They've been at it for so long, basically dating just without the physical stuff, that this just seems like a logical step for them."

"It's what she thinks they **_should_** do. Not what she feels she **_wants_** to do," Hayley guessed.

Jenna nodded. "Not to sound like one of _**those**_ guardians, but I don't think Phoebe knows what she wants."

"I think she does," Hayley argued. "I just think she's too busy putting everyone else first, including Damon, to go for it."

"It or _**him**_?" Jenna held up the picture of Elijah's name written in ancient runic as she said it.

Hayley laughed lightly. "Both."

"Pool's ready," Rick announced.

"I'll go get changed." Phoebe cast one last glance at Damon, and then headed for Rick's bathroom.

Phoebe changed very quickly into her swimsuit, as was the plan, and stepped into the pool. Hayley had been careful to make sure that the water wasn't cold; but it still felt weird to be the only one dressed for a day at the beach, and then laying down in a kiddy pool, while everyone stares at you.

"Now, try and clear your mind of everything except the Original family and the story," Rick instructed, as she lay down in the water.

"Right." She closed her eyes and did her best to comply. She visualized the cave drawings easy enough, but when you tell someone not to think about anything, they're gonna think about everything. How was she to focus when she knew they were all watching her?

Then, as though reading her mind, "Take your time, Phoebe. We'll be over here trying to decipher more pictographs." Hayley gestured for everyone to back away from her. They all moved off, but three of the four still maintained eyes on her.

Phoebe just lay there as still as she could, until even the water was almost a flat calm. She tried to remember her training with Elijah. How had he gotten her to calm herself enough to focus on controlling water?

She remembered the time she manipulated his blood. She was singing 'O Come, O Come, Emmanuel'. Yes, that was how she had done it. But she didn't want to sing here, she was embarrassed enough. Maybe she could ask them to play it? No, that wouldn't do. Like Elijah had told her before: she wouldn't always have the opportunity to relax and focus on her terms. Real life wasn't Scooby Doo, she couldn't just ask whomever to wait while she did a thing, and they would actually wait.

Phoebe did her best to hear the song playing in her head, focusing on Elijah and the writings. She focused on Elijah more than Klaus, because she had more memories with him to draw on. Still, Klaus' ring was as old as he was. She thumbed the ring around her finger and thought of Klaus the way she had seen him when she was in the cave. Him and Rebekah were still human. She remembered the first time she had seen Elijah. Not the first time they had met, but the first time she had seen his face. The water showed him to be from the same era as she had seen Rebekah and Klaus this morning. She focused on all three of their faces, and the cave, and played the music in her mind.

A ripple moved through the water, away from Phoebe's body. Hayley, Damon, and Jenna perked up and shared looks with one another. Hayley shook her head at the other two. She was almost there, but not quite yet. If they disturbed her now, they could break her focus.

Phoebe started hearing strange noises. They sounded like people talking around her. But they weren't the voices of the few that surrounded her, and there were more people talking than just four. She could also hear the sounds of birds and other noises that you would only hear if you were outside. She listened harder. There was a sound of clanking metal in the distance. There were sounds galore, but why couldn't she see anything?

"Open your eyes," came a voice in her head. It was Elijah's voice. It wasn't part of the vision, but it seemed that her focus on his guidance made her subconscious use his voice to be the one that guided her now.

She opened her eyes, like the voice told her to. She had been expecting to see the ceiling of Rick's apartment, but instead saw an ancient Viking village. Phoebe let out a breath of surprise that caught everyone's attention.

"This is amazing," she said.

"You're there?" Rick asked. They all gathered around again.

"Yes. There's a small Viking village here." She looked around until she saw Rebekah. "I see Rebekah."

"It worked," said Damon, impressed. Rick gestured for him to keep quiet. In the spirit of not confusing Phoebe and breaking her focus, they had agreed that only Rick would speak to her, when they needed.

Rebekah took off towards the source of the clanking metal sounds. She called back to a young boy, who was soon on her heels. "Come on, Henrik, our brothers are fighting again."

Phoebe could see two men sword fighting in the distance. As she moved closer, she could see that it was Klaus and Elijah. They weren't fighting as she had seen them do before; there was no anger or hatred in their eyes. They were focused, yes, but they were...playing?

Elijah took notice of Rebekah, but not Phoebe. "Oh, look. Sister's arrived to watch my fast-approaching victory," he taunted.

"On the contrary, Elijah." Klaus challenged his brother once more, finally evading his attack, and slicing through his brother's belt. Elijah watched it fall to the ground in mild embarrassment. "She's come to laugh at you," he finished.

Phoebe found herself laughing with the other Original siblings.

"What's so funny?" Hayley asked. None of them could hear or see what she could. And it was weird to see her looking around like she was, seeing things that weren't actually there.

"It's nothing," Phoebe said, still laughing. "Don't worry about it."

The laughing from everyone came to an immediate halt with the arrival of two other figures. One of them Phoebe recognized instantly as Esther – the witch that made her. The other, she did not know. At least, not until Esther referred to him by name.

"Relax, Mikael," she chided. "Niklaus means well."

"That is precisely my problem," Mikael growled. He stepped forward, taking Elijah's sword from him. Elijah did not seem happy to give it. "So...Why don't you teach me that trick, young warrior?" Mikael took a hard swing at Klaus.

Klaus deflected it. "Father, we were just having fun," he defended. He looked so frightened. They all did.

"We fight for our survival. And you find time for fun?!" Mikael was seething now. "I wanna have fun! Teach me. Come on!"

How could one man be so angry about his own children just having a bit of harmless fun? Phoebe couldn't understand why none of the others were stepping in to help their brother. How could they all just stand there? How could Elijah just stand there?

"Father, it was nothing," Klaus pleaded.

Mikael took another hard swing at Klaus, and kept swinging. Phoebe ran at him to shove him aside, but only passed right through him. She had forgotten this was all just a memory. Even her physical body remained still in the pool.

Mikael knocked Klaus on his ass, and moved as though he were going to run Elijah's blade through his own son, but stopped short. Klaus looked utterly terrified.

"You are foolish and impulsive, my boy," Mikael spat. "What? No more laughter?!"

"Leave him alone!" Phoebe shouted, willing him to hear her. But this wasn't real. She wasn't really there.

"Phoebe, what's going on?" Rick asked. They were all alarmed by her frustration and outburst.

"You've made your point, Mikael," Esther scolded.

Mikael drove the sword into the ground next to Klaus' head. Both Phoebe and Klaus flinched.

"Some days, it's a miracle you're still alive...boy." Mikael stood back up and walked away.

Phoebe stared at Klaus trembling on the ground in fear. This was all wrong on so many levels.

"Phoebe!"

Phoebe shot up in the pool, snapping out of the vision entirely. It took her a moment to get her bearings, and to realize when and where she was. "I just saw Mikael."

"And?"

"And they're all terrified of him...with good reason."

Jenna, Rick, Hayley, and Damon all shared looks. Part of each of them was surprised, like Phoebe had been, that Klaus could be terrified of anything. But for the most part, they all saw this as good news.

"Let me go back," said Phoebe, trying to lie down again.

Hayley grabbed her arm. "I think it's time for one of those breaks you promised."

Phoebe smiled comfortingly at her. "I'm fine, Hayley. I was just upset by what I saw."

"And what was that, exactly?" Damon asked.

Phoebe looked uncomfortable again. "He was a cruel man. Especially to his own children. Klaus in particular."

Despite knowing the caring and compassionate nature that is Phoebe Gilbert, they were all a little confused as to why she would be so upset about seeing Klaus terrorized by someone. It didn't matter that in that time he had done nothing to deserve it. As things stood right now in this time, Phoebe had more than enough reasons to hate him, and yet she felt some level of compassion for him that baffled them all. Even herself.

"Just one more go, and then I'll take a break. I promise," Phoebe pleaded.

Hayley released her arm reluctantly.

Phoebe lay back down, doing exactly what she had before. It was a little easier this time, and a little quicker, too. She kept her eyes closed, like before, until she started hearing sounds that indicated she was somewhere else, then she opened them.

When she opened her eyes she was near Rebekah again. Phoebe found it odd that she kept appearing close to her, when she had items from Klaus and Elijah, but didn't spend time thinking on it – she could do that later. Like before, Rebekah wasn't alone, but the boy she was with this time wasn't the one she had called Henrik.

This one looked much older, closer to Rebekah's own age. And he seemed to resemble Elijah rather closely. He had the same brown eyes, brown hair, and even a slightly cleft chin. But his face over all...He had a certain handsomeness to him, there was no arguing that. But his general expression looked like someone who always had something nefarious on his mind. Phoebe guessed this was the male equivalent of the "resting bitch face".

"What do you see?" Rick asked her.

"I'm with Rebekah again," she answered. "There's another guy here with her. I don't know his face, but he's gotta be one of the other siblings."

"How can you tell?"

"He looks a lot like Elijah." She continued to watch Rebekah and her presumed brother, hoping she might address him by name at some point.

Rebekah was looking at some necklaces hanging from a window. As she touched one, it burned her. She recoiled away from it. "Ow!"

The other boy laughed.

"That wasn't funny, Kol," she growled.

"Come now, little sister, it was just a harmless prank," Kol teased.

"Kol. His name is Kol," Phoebe informed.

"That just leaves Finn and...Henry?" Rick guessed.

"Henrik," Phoebe corrected. "And I'm pretty sure I saw him earlier."

"Mother! Mother!"

Phoebe turned towards the cries, as did Rebekah and Kol. Klaus was running back to the village, carrying something in his arms. It was his little brother Henrik, and he was covered in blood. His own blood.

Rebekah and Kol ran towards their brothers. Elijah, Esther, and another man came running as well. They all stopped when they met, and Klaus set Henrik down on the ground. Phoebe took advantage of their initial moment of shock to examine the new man. He had lighter eyes, though Phoebe couldn't tell exactly what color they were. His hair was a lighter brown, almost dirty blonde. His cheeks were hollow, and though he was in shock currently, his face seemed like it was used to being in a state of permanent scowl. Phoebe guessed he might be Finn, but didn't voice it.

"Henrik! No. What happened?" Esther wailed.

"The wolves," Klaus sobbed. "We snuck out to watch the men turn into beasts...Mother, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry..."

Another woman came out of a nearby house. She had dark skin and shells in her hair. She knelt down next to the dead boy, and placed a single hand on his chest.

"We must save him. Please, there must be a way," Esther pleaded.

The other woman looked at Esther sadly. "The spirits will not give us a way, Esther...Your boy is gone."

Esther broke down into tears over her dead son. The one Phoebe assumed was Finn did his best to comfort her. Rebekah did the same for Klaus, while Elijah and Kol grieved in their own way.

Phoebe's phone rang, snapping her out of her vision, once again. She sat up in her little kiddy pool, and requested simply, "Towel. Phone."

In a flash, she had both. She dried her hands and one side of her head, then answered Rebekah's call.

"Whatever it is you're doing, it can wait," said Rebekah. "Right now, I need your help finding a homecoming dress."

"Um, okay. Uh, give me a few minutes, I'm..." She looked down at the pool of water she was still sitting in. "...in the bath. I'll pick you up at the Boarding House in...fifteen minutes?"

"Fifteen minutes, then."

"And why are you going shopping with Barbie Klaus?" Damon asked after she ended the call.

Phoebe stood up and began wringing herself out. "Because apparently that's what friends do."

"But you hate shopping," Jenna reminded her.

"I know. But aside from the fact that I see no reason to be mean to her, she could prove to be a useful ally some day." She stepped out of the water to head to Rick's bathroom and change. "You know, keep your enemies close and all that."

While she got changed in the bathroom, she called out to the others. She told them everything she'd seen in her visions, even describing the other three brothers they'd yet to meet – not that it had any bearing on the story. The plan was that Phoebe would dive back in, so to speak, when she returned; but Jenna, Rick, and Hayley still had plans to try deciphering the cave writings while Phoebe was out shopping. Anything to keep her from having to spend so much time and energy on this.

* * *

Shopping with Rebekah wasn't what Phoebe had expected. Instead of trying on dress after dress as she had always done, Rebekah compelled the two of them their own private runway. All they had to do was sit back, relax, and drink champagne.

There was a model for each of them. One brunette, tall, with a bit of a tan to somewhat match Phoebe's olive complexion. And once blonde, fair skinned, and of similar build to Rebekah.

"So how did you meet my brother?" Rebekah asked, passing on another dress.

"Which one?"

Rebekah smiled. "Elijah."

"Well, I had just been kidnapped by a pair of vampires that thought I was the Patrova Doppelganger. They were hoping to trade me over to Elijah for their freedom." Phoebe made a face and shook her head at her model's dress.

"Freedom?" Rebekah seemed surprised and confused. "From Elijah?"

"No, your other brother. Apparently they had a hand in letting Katherine Pierce escape from Klaus 500 years ago," she explained.

"Oh, you're talking about Rose and Trevor. Frankly, I'm surprised they've survived this long," Rebekah remarked idly.

"Don't be too surprised," said Phoebe. "Elijah killed Trevor when we met, and Rose died shortly after of a werewolf bite."

"Pity," was all she had to say to that. But there was no trace of it in her voice. "So what happened next?"

"Next?"

"Yes. You've told me the circumstances that forced you two to meet, but not how you actually met," she pointed out. "What happened when you actually met? What did you think of him?"

"Oh. Um...Well, Trevor and Rose sort of made him out to be this monster that haunts your dreams, so that's the kind of vampire I was expecting to meet. But when I actually saw him he was-"

"Charming? A complete gentleman?"

Phoebe smiled. "Something like that."

"That sounds like Elijah alright."

They each passed on another dress, and sipped the last of their champagne. Rebekah, of course, called for more.

Phoebe stared at her glass as Rebekah refilled it. "Can I ask you a personal question?"

"Only if I can ask you one," she countered. "And you have to answer with a simple, honest yes or no. No noncommittal answers."

"Sounds fair."

"Me first," she declared excitedly. She leaned in and stared Phoebe down. "When you met my brother – when you met Elijah – did you find him attractive?"

Phoebe blinked. "Excuse me?" What was her obsession with Phoebe's opinion of Elijah?

"It's a simple question. Are you attracted to my brother?"

"Uh, no, those are two very different questions," Phoebe argued uncomfortably. "One is asking if I found him attractive when we met. The other is asking if I'm currently attracted to him."

Rebekah shrugged. "So pick one and answer it. That's the deal remember?"

Phoebe looked around uncomfortably before locking her eyes onto Rebekah's. "...Yes."

Rebekah grinned. "Which question did you answer?"

Phoebe maintained eye contact as she sipped her drink, but didn't answer. "My turn. What happened to your mother?"

All semblance of joy drained from Rebekah's face. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I know that you and your siblings became vampires along with your father," Phoebe answered. "But your mother stayed a witch, didn't she?"

"How do you know about Mikael? Who have you been talking to?" Her paranoia was mounting.

"No one, I swear. I only know what Elijah told me," Phoebe claimed. "He told me that you and your siblings were the Original vampires; all other vampires stem from you guys. I mean, he never explicitly said that your father was a vampire, I just assumed he was from what he told me."

"What did he tell you?"

"That he lost his marbles when he found out that your mother had had an affair with a werewolf. That he killed Klaus' father and his entire family, thus starting the war of the species." Phoebe could see Rebekah starting to relax a little. "I just assumed that he was a vampire for the entire werewolf species to declare war on all vampires, and not just your village or your family."

"They weren't the only ones Mikael killed when he found out about my mother's betrayal," said Rebekah. "When Nik made his first human kill, it triggered his werewolf gene. With that, he became my father's greatest shame. My mother tried to make it right. She put the hybrid curse on Nik to suppress his werewolf side, and then she turned her back on him."

Phoebe couldn't believe what she was hearing. Esther cursed her own son to appease a monster of a man like Mikael?

"But Mikael's greatest weakness as a human was his pride, and as a vampire that was magnified," she continued. "After he went on a rampage and killed half the village, he came home and killed her."

Phoebe's jaw hit the floor. "Mikael killed your mother?"

"He said she broke his heart, so he would break hers." Rebekah swallowed the lump building in her throat. "He tore her heart from her chest as Nik watched."

Phoebe felt horrible. "...I'm so sorry. I-"

"Why do you wanna know all this?" she asked.

"I just don't like incomplete stories," she lied. "Your brother told me most of the story, but there are still bits and pieces missing. I didn't...I didn't know the answer would be so..."

"Dramatic?"

Phoebe nodded. Dramatic seemed like a good enough description.

"That's my family for you. Dramatic to the last." She raised her glass as though making a toast, and then downed its contents.

Phoebe, of course, had more questions than answers still; but she counted her blessings and kept them to herself. She'd managed to convince Rebekah so far that this was all simple curiosity. If she pushed any further, Rebekah was sure to become suspicious. So she let the subject go for now, and returned to shopping for a homecoming dress.

* * *

By the time Phoebe had made it back to Rick's loft, the others had made a lot of progress with the translations. They no knew the symbols for vampire, werewolf, hybrid, witch, and a few other things.

"How was shopping with Rebekah?" Hayley asked.

"Interesting," she answered simply. "Her dad killed her mom when he found out that Klaus wasn't actually his kid."

Everyone shared a look of confusion. It didn't escape Phoebe's attention.

"What?"

"I think it's better if we show you," said Jenna.

Phoebe joined them by the recreation she'd made on Rick's wall.

Rick held up a close up one of the images. "This is the symbol for witch."

"Is that what I think it is?"

"Yep. Elena's necklace," Damon confirmed.

Rick indicated to another figured with the necklace design in place of a head. "From what we can tell, this is the symbol for the Original Witch."

"Okay, makes sense."

Rick showed her a section of the recreation that depicted her death. "Upside down figures usually signify death of some kind."

"Okay? Rebekah said Mikael ripped her heart out when he killed her, so..."

"Look closer," said Hayley.

Phoebe stared at the section of pictographs, studying it, but just couldn't see it. She was about to give up when she realized what was right in front of her face. "Oh, my god. Mikael didn't kill her."

"Klaus did," Hayley finished.

"Please, Ayana, I implore you," Mikeal begged. "You must call upon the spirits before the next full moon."

Phoebe looked around. It was dark out, and none of the Original siblings were around. Esther, Mikael and the one he called Ayana were all gathered around the fire.

After learning that Klaus was capable of such monstrous acts as killing his own mother, it was unanimously agreed that Phoebe should go back in the pool. Such a monster could not be allowed to continue to terrorize the world, and if Phoebe was no longer strong enough to stop him herself, then they needed to know what weapon Mikael had.

"I will not," Ayana refused. "It is a crime against nature."

"Ayana, we have already lost too much. We cannot lose anymore," Esther pleaded.

What were they asking for? Their son to be brought back to life?

"The spirits can help us find a way to protect our children," Esther continued.

Something clicked in Phoebe's mind just as Mikael began to press Ayana. "Everything could be heightened. Our family could live forever."

"At what cost?" she asked him. "This magic you speak of breeds consequence. This is the makings of a plague, Esther. The spirits will turn on you."

"Please, Ayana."

"I will have no part in it." Ayana left their home, making it perfectly clear that her word on this was final.

"If she will not protect our family," Mikael began. "Then it is in your hands alone, my love."

Esther seemed hesitant after what Ayana had said. And from what Phoebe knew of her now, she clearly wished she had listened to Ayana back then. But at the time, she chose to ignore whatever consequences may come, and protect her children from all harm.

Phoebe's head was spinning – there were so many questions she still had. How could you love your children so much that you're willing to defy nature just to protect them, and then turn around and try to kill them all, just because you've suddenly decided you don't like the consequences of your decision? How can you claim to love your children, and then curse one of them for something that was not his fault?

Then there were things that Phoebe herself was just curious about. How were they all turned into vampires? How did Esther subdue Klaus enough to put the hybrid curse on him? Did the side effects of being a vampire come all at once? Or did they just appear over time?

All these questions floating around her brain soon proved to be a mistake. Her mind flooded with visions of all of these events – like files being transferred from one computer to another in bulk, rather than reliving each one separately.

She saw Esther and Mikael offer laced wine to all five of their remaining children over dinner, and then witnessed Mikael driving his sword through all of their hearts – and he wasn't gentle about it. She saw Mikael feed them more blood when they awoke in transition.

She saw the vervain plants at the base of the white oak tree burning their skin; their neighbors hiding from them inside of their homes, because they could no longer enter uninvited. She saw Esther create six daylight rings to protect them from the sunlight. She saw the bloodlust take hold of every last one of them, including Mikael.

She saw Klaus make his first human kill, triggering his werewolf gene. The confusion etched all over his face as to what was happening to him. Mikael and Elijah restraining him so Esther could put the hybrid curse on him. Mikael slaughtering the wolves in a fit of rage. Klaus killing his mother...Everything was coming into her mind far too fast for Phoebe to even react to what she was seeing, much less process it.

Phoebe's body went rigid the moment the visions began invading her mind. Outwardly, to everyone else, it appeared that she was having a seizure. They tried getting her out of the water so that she wouldn't drown, but she wouldn't budge. Even using the super strength of three supernaturals, it was as though Phoebe was stuck in cement.

When Phoebe saw her last vision of Mikael making his weapon, it all stopped. Her body went limp, the visions stopped, and her body was free to leave the water.

Only a few minutes had passed when she woke up on Rick's couch. Though her body felt like it had just swam several dozen laps in a much larger pool.

"You're an idiot."

"Love you, too, Hayley," Phoebe groaned. She opened her eyes to find both Jenna and Hayley hovering over her.

"What the hell happened?" Jenna asked.

"I think I got too curious." She sat up slowly, looking around the room for Damon and Rick. They weren't too far away, watching her as well. "I just remember having all these questions running around my head, and then suddenly my mind was overrun with visions. Like the water was trying to answer everything at once."

"And your brain couldn't handle it, which is why you had the seizure," Rick added, understanding now.

Phoebe looked like she was missing something. "I had a seizure?"

Everyone nodded grimly.

"Yeah, so I really hope you found out what Mikael's little weapon is, because you're not-" Damon didn't get to finish his thought.

"He has a stake made of white oak," Phoebe blurted out.

"How's that possible?" Hayley questioned. "Elijah said they burned the tree down."

Phoebe shook her head. "Mikael took a piece of it before it burned."

"Why?"

"I don't know. I just know that he did, and that once he saw what Klaus had done to his mother, he decided to use it on Klaus."

"Does the why really matter? Mikael wants to kill Klaus with a weapon we know is guaranteed to kill him," said Damon.

"Too bad you trusted Katherine to go find him," Jenna remarked snidely.

Damon had a comeback, but Phoebe trying to stand up took priority. "Where are you goin?"

"To the Boarding House," she answered. "Rebekah needs to know that the brother she's so easily forgiven for daggering her in a box for 90 years, and then left her here is a monster."

"And how do you plan on convincing her of that?" Rick asked.

Phoebe tapped her head. "By showing her."

"Want me to come with you?" Hayley offered.

"No, she'll be more likely to listen if I go alone. Besides, there's something else I need you to do for me."

* * *

Phoebe didn't have to look hard to find Rebekah. She was standing in the living room, drinking. "Klaus lied to you," she said gently.

Rebekah stopped mid-sip of her drink and turned to face Phoebe. "What?"

"Mikael didn't kill your mother. Klaus did."

Rebekah frowned. "And how would you know? She died a thousand years before you were born."

"Before Elijah was daggered and thrown in a box by Klaus, he taught me how to use...how to control my powers," she explained. "I can use water to see the past."

Rebekah shook her head. "No. I don't believe you."

"Then let me show you. Look into my mind, see what I saw."

Rebekah wasn't sure why she did it. Maybe curiosity. Maybe to call Phoebe's bluff. Whatever the reason, she put a hand on Phoebe's head, and looked at the memory on Phoebe's mind.

"No. No, this can't be true." Rebekah backed away from Phoebe, trying to shake off what she had just seen.

"She put the hybrid curse one him," Phoebe pressed. "She made it so that he would be the only one of his kind, and then she rejected him."

"Stop it."

"With the werewolf gene comes aggression and violence. When he turned, all of that was heightened," she went on. "He killed her, Rebekah, and then he made up this entire lie about your father so that he wouldn't lose you and Elijah."

"Why are you doing this to me?" Rebekah wailed. "I've done nothing to you except be your friend."

"Klaus is a monster! He killed your mother. He daggers you and your siblings, and then throws you into coffins." She moved closer. "He has a hold on you, me, and everyone else! It has to end, Rebekah."

Rebekah pinned Phoebe against the wall at vampire speed, her hand around Phoebe's throat. "Shut up! Just shut up!"

The two girls stared at one another for a moment, before Rebekah finally released her grip on Phoebe. She backed away slowly, Phoebe's words finally sinking in, then sank to her knees crying. Phoebe tried to comfort her, but Rebekah swatted her hands away. Right now, Phoebe was every bit a monster as Klaus in her eyes.

* * *

Phoebe felt horrible when she got home – physically and emotionally. It had been a long day, and all she wanted to do was curl up in bed and sleep for days. But there was still one thing left to do. Something she couldn't put off any longer.

The Gilbert house was fuller than it had been in a long time. Everyone in their extended Scooby Gang was there, no matter what issues they were having with one another. The only two not there were Tyler and Stefan. Stefan already knew what she had to say, and Tyler might report it all back to Klaus.

They had all been scattered around the house, waiting for Phoebe to get home, but quickly gathered in the living area once she was. She looked around at the different faces staring back at her in anticipation. This made her more nervous.

"I know most of you are probably wondering why I had Hayley gather you all here. Actually, you're **_all_** probably wondering that." She took a deep breath. Her heart was beginning to beat uncontrollably. "But there's something I've been meaning to tell you all for a long time now. Yes, Hayley already knows, because she's been helping me keep it secret from all of you. Stefan isn't here, because he found out recently on our trip to Europe. But I only kept it a secret, because I was waiting for the right time to tell all of you. Not because I was hiding it, and now I'm being forced to tell you." It all came out in a jumble of words – very much like old, nervous Phoebe.

Everyone was so confused. There were a few looks exchanged among the group, but mostly everyone kept their eyes on Phoebe. What could have her so anxious?

Phoebe took a deep breath to steady herself, and fiddled with her bracelet. "I'm sure you all know that I have cystic fibrosis – you've all known me long enough to know that. But what most of you don't know is that people with this condition have a shorter lifespan. Roughly forty years. A-And that's not f-forty **_more_** years, that's **_to_** age forty."

"What are you saying?" Jenna asked. She was almost afraid of the answer.

Phoebe swallowed. She opened her mouth to answer her aunt, but the words wouldn't come out. She'd had no problem saying it all out loud before – she'd told Hayley, Stefan, Agnes and Zoie. Why was it so hard to say it now? Because these people cared for her.

When she told Hayley, they weren't even friends. Hayley was just some stranger passing through their town. Stefan had figured it out for himself, and even when he had coaxed the information out of her, she cried. She had spent so much time worrying about their reaction to her decision to become a vampire, that she never stopped to consider how emotional telling them of her imminent death would be.

The entire room was on pins and needles awaiting her answer. They knew the answer in their guts, but they couldn't – wouldn't – believe it until they heard her say it.

Phoebe focused on her siblings and Jenna. All three sets of eyes were beginning to water, as was Phoebe's. "Mom and dad didn't want you guys to know. They didn't even wanna tell me until I was much older. But I found it while doing research, and I asked them about it...They said it was up to me to tell you guys or not." She looked at Matt. "Or you. But I didn't want you guys to feel like you had to spend every waking moment with me. To do whatever I wanted, just because I..." She still couldn't say it. But what she had said was confirmation enough.

"You told her pretty quickly." Matt nodded his head to Hayley. He was on the verge of tears himself. He couldn't even begin to imagine a life without his best friend.

"I told Hayley, because I wanted to earn her trust," she explained. "I had just met her, she knew I was friends with vampires, and she was nervous. She was afraid I would set them on her and the other werewolves that she'd come to meet. So I gave her something she could hold over my head to make her feel more at ease."

Matt still seemed jealous about her confiding in her new best friend, where she used to confide in him; but accepted her explanation all the same.

Phoebe's eyes fell to the floor. "...It gets worse."

Everyone looked up. How could it possibly get worse than her dying?

Again, Phoebe looked around at the faces in the room, and became tongue-tied. She knew they needed to know all of this. They deserved to know all of this. But it hurt her to see them so hurt by all of this death talk.

She looked to Hayley for help.

Hayley stood up to address the room, putting a comforting arm around Phoebe. "We all know the witches want to stop Klaus from siring hybrids by any means necessary. That's why they allowed Phoebe to live this long. But now she's refusing to martyr herself just to kill him, and he knows her blood is the key to making his hybrids."

"Get to the point," Damon growled.

"The witches have accelerated her condition," said Hayley. "She won't even live to forty, now."

Everyone looked at Phoebe for confirmation. She didn't say anything, and she avoided their gazes, but this was confirmation enough.

Matt ran his hands through his hair, and stood up. Jenna covered her mouth with one hand, and held Elena's hand in the other. Rick put a hand on Jenna's shoulder.

"Wh...How do you know? Have you seen a doctor?" Jeremy asked.

Phoebe nodded.

"How lo..."Elena's voice cracked. She cleared her throat. "How long **_do_** you have?"

"A few years," Phoebe lied. She needed everyone to come to terms with her vampire solution in their own time, not force it on them. If they thought they had more time to think it over and exhaust other options, then they were more likely to come around to the idea. But if they knew they only had a few short months, they were likely to feel like they had no choice but to accept this solution, and likely wouldn't be okay with it all.

"There has to be something we can do," Caroline chimed in. She looked at Bonnie. "A spell or something."

"Bonnie shook her head. "If the other witches are the ones killing her, there's nothing I can do. They're the ones trying to kill her, they're not just gonna let me or anyone else cure her."

"Well, we can't just sit back and let her die," Rick argued.

"I'm not asking you to," said Phoebe, finding her voice again. She had everyone's attention once more. Phoebe shared a look with Hayley to let her know she was alright to speak for herself now. "I have a plan. And though you might not agree at first, I'm hoping you'll all see that it's a good one soon." She spoke slowly and carefully, wanting them all to hear her, before they began outright saying 'no'. "There's one way I can escape this curse. One way I can break free of the hold the witch have on me for good."

"No," said Damon, catching on.

Phoebe looked at him pleadingly. "It's my only option, Damon."

He moved closer to where she was standing. "Becoming a vampire is not a solution, Phoebe."

Various forms of "What?" could be heard all over the room. Shocked looks were exchanged all around.

"What if we kill Klaus?" Damon suggested. "If there's no Original Hybrid walking around trying to turn every werewolf into another hybrid, then the witches might let you off the hook."

"'Might.' 'What if.' Do you really wanna risk her life on the remote possibility that killing Klaus **_might_** cure her?" Hayley questioned.

"It's worth a shot," he replied irritably.

"I can't believe I'm gonna say this, but...I agree with Damon," said Matt.

"I don't think it will make a difference to them. To them, I'm like Klaus – a unique abomination with too much power to let live. They want me to die killing Klaus, Damon, so that they're down two abominations at once," Phoebe argued.

"We have to at least try, Phoebe," Caroline argued. Even she looked saddened at the thought of Phoebe dying.

Phoebe looked at her old rival and sighed slowly. She looked around the room at all the sad and pleading faces. They were going to kill Klaus anyways, right? What harm could it do to wait until after that to see if this idea worked? To humor them, even though she knew in her gut that it wouldn't?

"Okay," Phoebe relented. "We try killing Klaus first."

Everyone was surprised; they'd all expected her to argue with them more. To tell them that it was her life, her decision. Not to agree to do things their way.

"I can see that it's important to you all that we at least try this, and since there's no harm in trying, I say we do it. I mean, it wasn't like we were going to pass up killing him anyways," she explained.

The whole room seemed to sigh with relief. Jeremy, Jenna, and Elena stood up and hugged Phoebe tightly. Matt was next in line. Damon wanted to hold her tight and never let her go, but he'd wait until later. Then came Caroline and even Bonnie. Rick was the only one left. Phoebe opened her arms to him playfully, making him and everyone else laugh a little. He accepted her offer.

"So where do we even start?" Jeremy wondered aloud, breaking up the sounds of sniffles and awkward silence.

Suddenly, as though it were pre-planned, there was a knock on the door. Several pairs of eyes darted around the room curiously. Phoebe was the first to move to answer the door.

Standing outside was a well-built man in a dark suit. He had short, blonde hair and piercing blue eyes. He just smiled at Phoebe, eyeing her curiously.

Phoebe's body tensed at the memories of him tormenting his children and killing them mercilessly. "Mikael." It was more of a statement and less of a greeting.

"Hello, Miss Gilbert. May I come inside?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry I keep forgetting to update this story here. I keep up with it on FanFiction.net, but I always forget to update it on here. I'll try to be better about that. Again, sorry to those of you who read this story.


	53. Homecoming

Chapter 53: Homecoming

With the help of Mikael, and now Rebekah on board, it only took a couple of days to come up with a brilliant plan to lure Klaus back to Mystic Falls and kill him. The lure part was the easy part. All they needed to do was have Stefan call him and tell him that his father was dead, and then have Rebekah confirm it.

The only remotely tricky part of that was Stefan's compulsion making him unable to lie to Klaus, so their story had to be real. This meant Phoebe had to actually dagger Mikael in front of Stefan; with his trust that she would undagger him later.

They had all planned on Klaus bringing hybrids back with him to confirm Mikael's death, but seeing as they were technically part vampire this meant that Mikael could compel them to do as he wished. When the time came, one of the hybrids was to bring Phoebe to Mikael, who would threaten to kill her if Klaus did not come outside of the school to face him. Klaus would either come out to save his key to siring hybrids, or he would call Mikael's bluff. Either way, they would be ready.

Everything that could possibly happen was factored into their plan. Every possibility. All but one: Phoebe was beginning to have second thoughts about killing Klaus.

On the morning of the Homecoming Dance, Phoebe found Rebekah painting her nails in the library. It seemed she wanted to keep close to Mikael for when he woke up.

Phoebe struggled to find the right words, but they eluded her, as usual.

"If you have something to say, out with it," said Rebekah. She hadn't even turned around to see who it was. "Or go away, I don't care which."

"I'm sorry," said Phoebe.

Rebekah paused, but still didn't turn around.

"I'm sorry that I forced you to witness your mother's death and acted as though it was nothing. As though I were simply correcting an incorrect fact on a research paper, or something." Phoebe moved closer so Rebekah could see her. "I'm sorry."

Rebekah eyed her for a moment, trying to determine what her angle was. But Phoebe seemed to be genuinely apologetic for her behavior. "Apology accepted."

Phoebe gave a nod, smiling lightly. She glanced back at Mikael's body, before making her way out of the library. She didn't get very far.

"Would you like me to paint your toes for tonight?" Rebekah offered.

Phoebe wanted to say 'no', but seeing as they were just beginning to make up, she felt obligated to accept. She forced a smile. "Sure. Thanks."

Rebekah had just finished painting Phoebe's nails, when Mikael's body began to show signs of him waking up. They both stopped and stared at the de-desiccating Original on the floor.

"Do you want me to stay?" Phoebe offered. She knew how terrified they all were of him. How his mere presence could make them all feel uncomfortable.

Rebekah shook her head. "No. No, I need to do this on my own."

* * *

Meanwhile, at the Gilbert House, the rest of the Scooby gang prepared for the dance in a different manner. They weren't doing their hair, nails, or make up; but rather, they were making wolfsbane and vervain grenades.

Everything was broken up around the kitchen in some sort of assembly line. Along the island were the pieces needed to assemble to make the grenades – done so by Elena and Jeremy. Over at the sink, each half was filled with one of the two supernatural poisons. Here, Jenna and Rick would fill the grenades and complete their assembly.

"You know we can't trust Rebekah not to turn on us," Jeremy remarked.

"Oh, really? Because those Original vampires are usually so reliable," Rick replied sarcastically.

"He's right," Jenna agreed. "Rebekah may be mad at Klaus now, but he is her brother."

"Her lying, mamma-killing, dagger-happy brother," Rick argued.

"There's too many things that can go wrong with this plan," Jeremy pressed. "Too many people that can make it go wrong."

Rick stopped and turned around. "Look, I agree with you. But there's nothing we can do about it. We need Stefan to be there tonight, or else Klaus will be suspicious. We're just gonna have to hope that Klaus' compulsion over him doesn't reveal our plans."

"What about Rebekah? We don't need her anymore," said Jeremy. "We could dagger her."

"Klaus will be suspicious if she isn't there either," Elena argued. "We're all worried about one of them giving our plan away, but there's nothing we can do about it, Jer. Anything we try to do to make things more comfortable for us is just gonna make Klaus more suspicious."

Jeremy sighed in defeat. He was hoping at least one person would be on board with his idea to dagger Rebekah.

Jenna stepped over to the island and leaned against it so that she was eye level with Jeremy. "Hey. I know it's frustrating to be told 'just have faith that it'll all work out'. But no matter how many doubts you have about tonight, just remember your sister is not going to let Klaus walk away alive. Between her and Mikael, Phoebe is not letting Klaus live for a third time. She took pity on him once, she isn't gonna do it again. Remember that."

* * *

Phoebe wasn't sure what Rebekah had said to Mikael after she left – she did her best not to eavesdrop, which was a lot easier when you didn't have supernatural hearing. She'd be lying if she said she hadn't wondered what Rebekah might have to say to her father after all these years. Still, she respected her privacy and had gone up to her room to get started on her make up for tonight.

Phoebe was sitting at her vanity putting on the final touches of her make up, when Stefan texted her for assistance. "I'll be back. I've gotta go help Stefan pick out a tie," she told Hayley.

"Seriously? He's over a hundred years old and he still needs help picking a tie?"

Phoebe shrugged. "Some guys never stop needing the eye of a good woman."

Hayley laughed and shook her head.

"So what's the emergency?" Phoebe asked entering Stefan's room.

"I'm 162 years old, and I'm going to a Homecoming Dance." He gestured to his bed where all his ties were laid out. "I need better ties."

Phoebe snickered at him. "It's Homecoming, Stefan, not Prom." She grabbed one and held it up to him for visualization. "Besides, you could always not go."

Stefan grinned teasingly. "I'm compelled to protect you. And if I look at your track record at high school dances, it's pretty tragic." He leaned in as if to whisper, "My luck you'll go ahead and get yourself murdered by the Homecoming Queen."

Phoebe rolled her eyes playfully, as she reached for another tie.

"You roll your eyes, but you know I'm right."

"I didn't roll my eyes. I just had a sudden desire to look at your ceiling."

Stefan cracked a smile. Leave it to Phoebe to find the weirdest description for the simplest of things.

"Anyway, you're the one that we should be worried about," said Phoebe, holding up another tie. "If Klaus asks you one wrong question, the whole thing falls apart."

"You do have a reason to worry," he admitted. "But if I look back at our history of epic plan failures, it's usually because one of us let our humanity get in the way."

Phoebe paused. "By someone you mean me."

"You're an empath, you can't help it. It's who you are, you take pity on everyone," he began.

"I didn't take pity on Katherine," she argued. "That was you and Damon."

"Yeah, because she had linked herself to you. If we had killed her, it would have killed you, too," Stefan reminded her.

"Yeah, but after she was unlinked from me, you two still just threw her in the tomb. You didn't kill her when you had the chance."

Stefan sighed. "Phoebe, I wasn't saying you're the only one with emotions that get in the way, just that you're the wildcard of us all. You can decide last moment to take pity on someone and change course...You've done it before."

"I didn't take pity on Klaus that night," she argued. "Elijah asked me to stop so that I wouldn't become lost to my rage."

"And after?"

Phoebe shrugged. "Elijah deserved to have his family back. But Klaus just daggered him and shoved him in a box next to them all. He stole my friend, broke him down, and then broke me..." She looked up into Stefan's hazel eyes. "I'm not letting him get away with that. Any of it. Not this time."

* * *

Over at the high school, Caroline and Tyler argue, while they put the finishing touches on the Homecoming decorations. Caroline is pissed that Tyler set Matt up with Rebekah as his homecoming date ("Please tell me this is just some weird family extension to your sirebond to Klaus?").

"I am here, hanging streamers, and have glitter all over my hands. If I'm sired to anybody, it's you," he joked. Caroline didn't seem amused. "Look, I'm not the only one that thinks them going to the dance together is a good idea. Phoebe happens to agree with me."

"What?! Matt is her best friend! How could she..." Caroline made a sound of aggravation. "It's that damn werewolf she's always with. Before she came to town, Phoebe actually used to be concerned with Matt's well-being. Now it's like she just doesn't care anymore."

"Of course she cares," Tyler argued. "That girl would give her life to save Matt. She just wants him to be happy, like you do. And part of making that happen is to help him stop being so lonely."

Caroline was still seething.

"Think about who your talking about. Do you really think Phoebe would ever put Matt in harms way, accidentally or on purpose?"

She didn't voice it, but Caroline had to admit that Phoebe would never allow Matt to be in danger. Out of everyone in their gang, he was the one she was most protective of. He was the one that wished he never knew anything about this supernatural world of theirs. He was one of the few that had no means of defending themselves. Aside from the father she had already lost, Matt was the most important person in her life, and she would never let anyone hurt him.

* * *

After finishing her own, Rebekah offered to fix Phoebe's hair for the dance that night. Since she'd had no plans to do much of anything with her hair, Phoebe agreed to let her.

"You seem rather excited about tonight," Phoebe remarked, siting at Rebekah's vanity.

"Embarrassing truth? This is my first high school dance."

Phoebe was surprised. "Ever?"

"I never really had time for high school before," Rebekah admitted. "Nik and I were always moving around. Running."

Phoebe's eyes fell. She felt pity for Rebekah, like she seemed to be doing with all of the Original siblings.

"Have you heard anymore from him?" Rebekah asked.

"No. But I'm sure when he does return, he'll do it with his usual flair." Phoebe smiled unintentionally at that thought.

"And Damon and my father are all set with their plan?"

Phoebe looked at the blonde vampire's reflection in the vanity. "Yes."

Now Rebekah's eyes fell. "Don't tell me. I don't want to know. I just want to go to the dance and leave the rest to Mikael."

Phoebe could see this was hard for her. That despite all the anger and hatred she harbored towards her brother, she still loved him. Phoebe couldn't personally relate, because she had never been anywhere near angry enough to want to kill one of her siblings, but she had seen something similar in Stefan and Damon.

When the brothers had first returned to Mystic Falls, they were at war with one another. Damon constantly threatened to make Stefan's life a living hell. And yet, when it came down to it, he was willing to risk his life to save his brother. The same went for Stefan. Through all his talk of wanting to kill Damon and be rid of him, he was still willing to save him where he could.

Phoebe was pulled out of her thoughts by Rebekah starting up again. "Just be careful. I've been running for a thousand years for a reason. Mikael is not a good person. And he definitely can't be trusted. No one in my family can."

Phoebe wanted to argue that Elijah could be trusted, he had proven that to her several times over. But that was when they were working towards a common goal, and he actually cared about what happened to her. Mikael didn't care at all what happened to Phoebe or anyone else, so long as he got to kill Klaus.

"There," she said lightly, putting the finishing touches on Phoebe's hair. "All done. What do you think?"

Phoebe studied her reflection in the mirror. Her hair had been pulled back loosely, with a few stray hairs hanging freely. It was simple, yet beautiful. "I love it."

* * *

"So does that mean I don't have to go?" Phoebe asked, only half-joking. Caroline had called in a near-panic about the dance being ruined. Apparently the school gym flooded and the dance was now canceled last minute.

"You wish," Caroline replied. "No, Tyler's moving the party to his house."

"Kegs and beer pong for Homecoming? That's...different."

"Just say you're still coming," Caroline begged.

Phoebe heard Matt knock on the Boarding House door downstairs. "I'll see you there," she promised. And hung up the phone.

A few seconds later, Rebekah came flitting into the room, without knocking. "I just heard Matt arrive downstairs. How do I look?" She turned and modeled off the red dress Phoebe had helped her pick out.

"You look amazing," said Phoebe. "You're just missing one thing."

Rebekah looked confused, until Phoebe held up a small necklace for her. "My mother's necklace."

"You should wear it tonight."

Rebekah turned her back to Phoebe, and lifted her hair so Phoebe could put the necklace on her. "Thank you. You've been such a good friend to me, since I arrived, and I don't know why."

Phoebe shrugged. "I told you. You haven't done anything to personally offend me or anyone I care about, so I have no quarrel with you. Now, let's get going, before Mikael and or Damon annoy Matt too badly."

Rebekah laughed, and wiped away a few stray tears. "Yes, let's."

* * *

Stefan and Phoebe briefly saw Rebekah and Matt when they arrived at Tyler's house, but merely waved in recognition to them. They were more concerned with the fact that this sudden, thriving party had Klaus written all over it.

"Oh, I don't know. Tyler is part vampire now, he could have just compelled-"

"A bunch of random strangers to come to his house for a homecoming party?" Phoebe interrupted skeptically. Stefan made a face that said he agreed that was a bit far fetched. "And then there's the band."

"What about them?"

"They're terrible."

Stefan laughed. "Yeah, they are pretty bad." Stefan studied her appearance, while she was busy looking around for other signs that Klaus might be there. "You look amazing, by the way."

Phoebe's face flushed slightly – the way it always did when someone tried to tell her she was visually appealing. "Thanks."

"Good evening, everyone!" boomed Klaus' voice from an amp. Stefan and Phoebe turned their heads to see Klaus smiling smugly at them from the stage. I wanna thank you all for being here with me to celebrate. It's been a long time coming." Klaus took his leave of the spotlight, and made his way over to Stefan and Phoebe.

"Quite the Homecoming," Stefan remarked bitterly.

Klaus smiled at Phoebe as though she were the one who had spoken. "I've been planning my father's funeral for a thousand years. Granted, in no version of it were any of these people invited. But you get the idea."

"So what now? You stop running?"

"Now I reunite my family."

A flicker of hope sparked inside of Phoebe. Hope of seeing Elijah again. Then she realized, like an idiot, that it was already an inevitability. Once Klaus was dead, they could undagger him. Her mind really wasn't what it used to be.

"You mean, the people you cart around in caskets?" Stefan shot back.

Phoebe nudged Stefan lightly in warning. They did not need to poke the bear.

Klaus took notice of this, but declined to comment on it.

"None of this matters. Let's just take Klaus to see his father, and get this over with," said Phoebe.

"Here, here," Klaus agreed. "Bring Mikael to me."

"Bring him here? To a party full of people?" Stefan questioned, trying not to sound too suspicious.

"Well, it wouldn't be a party without the guest of honor, now would it?" Klaus replied.

Stefan and Phoebe shared a look.

"Don't worry about your date," said Klaus. "I'll take good care of her, until your return. Off you go."

Stefan had no choice but to turn and leave, as commanded. All he could do was hope and pray that their plan didn't rely on Klaus having to go to them. Thankfully, it did not. But seeing as Stefan was a liability to their plan, he wasn't allowed to know what the plan was, or be allowed to go back to the dance.

Shortly after informing the others of Klaus' presence at the Lockwoods', Mikael drained him dry. Damon, Jenna, and Hayley were all more than a little unnerved by the display, but whatever it took to kill Klaus.

Back at the party, Phoebe reluctantly walked with Klaus as they discussed his latest project of creating hybrids.

"Your army is coming along nicely," Phoebe complimented.

"You sound surprised," he noted.

"Well, considering that they're all supposed to be in hiding from vampires, after being nearly driven to extinction. Speaking of which, you might wanna slow down, or you won't have any future werewolves to turn to replace any fallen minions."

Klaus laughed.

"What's so funny?"

He opened his mouth to tell her that he found it amusing that she should be giving him advice on how to better ration out the werewolves, but he caught sight of Rebekah and excused himself to speak to her.

Phoebe observed the exchange between the siblings for any sign that Rebekah truly hated her brother enough to want him dead, but found none. Not even when she told him that she knew the truth about what he had done to their mother. Not when she reminded him how he used the daggers to terrorize their siblings into getting his way for centuries.

Not once in the entire brief exchange did Phoebe see any remote sign that Rebekah would be truly happier if her brother were dead and gone for good. So when Rebekah left her brother's presence to recompose herself in the Lockwood family office, Phoebe followed her in.

"I'm only going to ask you this once, and I want you to really think before you answer," Phoebe began. "Do you want to go through with this plan? Because this isn't going to be like daggering him for a few centuries, until you decide you miss him, or feel he's learned his lesson. If we go through with this plan tonight, Klaus is going to be gone for good. And I know you hate him for what he's done, but do you really want him **_dead_**?"

Rebekah thought for a moment, then shook her head. "I've spent my whole life loving and hating my brother with equal measure. I never thought that I'd be the one to help drive a stake through his heart."

"You don't have to be. If you don't want to go through with this, we can stop it."

"How? It's too late to change the plan, now. Anyway, the others will never go for it."

"They don't have to, and it's never too late. I just need to know what you want to do." Phoebe looked her dead in her blue eyes. "Do you want to kill your brother, yes or no?"

"...No."

* * *

"You seem different. Less hostile towards me," Klaus observed. Phoebe had rejoined his company not long after his fight with Rebekah. He had assumed she was keeping her distance to give him time to cool down. "What's changed?"

"Let's just say that..." Phoebe's mind went blank. She had no idea how to phrase this so vaguely.

Klaus waited a moment longer, and still she hadn't finished her thought. "I'm listening."

"Yeah, I got nothing. I have no idea how to phrase this in a vague way." She laughed at herself. So did Klaus. "I've just...I've gained a better understanding of you recently. And when I can understand why someone is the way they are, I can't entirely hate them."

Klaus looked hopeful.

Phoebe tried to squash that hope. "I'm not saying I've forgiven you for the things you've done to me – for the things you've taken from me. Part of me is always going to hate you for that, and I still very much dislike you."

"But?"

"But...I don't hate you...entirely."

Klaus smiled. "Well, I'll still count that as progress."

Phoebe shook her head. "How do you do that?"

"Do what, love?"

"Get me to talk to you?" she asked. "Every time I go somewhere that you're gonna be, I tell myself that I'm not going to talk to you anymore than I have to. Only one word responses, no smiles, no having a good time, just cold shoulder all the way. But when I'm actually around you...you make me open up somehow. You make me wanna talk to you about things. And not in a ranting about how much I hate you, kind of way, like Caroline would do. You get me to engage in actual conversation with you; which is really weird, because I don't like talking to people."

Klaus laughed again and shrugged. "It's a gift."

"Must be. You're like that race of listeners on _'Star Trek'_."

"So you like _'Star Trek'_?"

Phoebe opened her mouth to tell him just how much she loved it, but stopped short. "See? There you go again."

He held out his hands in a gesture of 'I don't know'. His smile grew to show his dimples, which were absolutely adorable. "I enjoy your company. That's why I enjoy talking to you, and hearing what you have to say on any subject you wish to discuss. Perhaps the reason you find yourself comfortable talking to me is because you feel the same way."

Phoebe struggled to find a response. He made a very valid point. You don't talk so freely to someone, unless you actually enjoyed their company – or they gave you truth serum. But could you really hate someone, while also enjoying their company? That seemed like a bit of an oxymoron.

There was such a thing as respecting your enemy. And as angry as it made her, Phoebe was beginning to appreciate and respect the challenge Klaus posed to her intellect. But how was that an okay thing, yet enjoying the company of someone you hated seemed such an odd thing?

Phoebe was thankful when one of Klaus' hybrids came up to them. "You have a visitor."

"Well, tell my visitor I'm busy." His eyes never left Phoebe's face.

"He says his name is Mikael," the hybrid pressed.

All happiness drained from Klaus' face. He looked annoyed, now. Not with Phoebe or anyone else for lying to him, but with himself for believing what he was told and celebrating prematurely.

Phoebe watched him give orders to a few of his hybrids, and then head to the front door, where Mikael was waiting for him. She followed, but kept a little bit of a distance – she didn't want to crowd an already nervous hybrid.

"Hello, Niklaus," Mikael greeted him.

Klaus mirrored his father's smug expression. "Hello, Mikael. Won't you come in? Oh, that's right, I forgot, you can't."

"Or you could come outside, if you want," Mikael suggested.

"Or I can watch my hybrids tear you limb from limb," Klaus shot back.

Phoebe watched Klaus' hybrids assemble outside on the front lawn, behind Mikael. He didn't seem bothered by them. In fact, he seemed amused by Klaus' threats to have them attack, regardless of the fact that it wouldn't actually kill him.

"The Big Bad Wolf," Mikeal taunted. "You haven't changed. Still hiding behind your playthings like a coward."

Klaus' smug expression slowly disappeared.

"Oh, and you forget. They may be sired by you, but they're still part vampire." Mikael looked over towards Phoebe. Within seconds she was standing next to him, just outside the door, compliments of one of Klaus' hybrids. "And they can be compelled by me."

As this was part of the plan, Phoebe wasn't actually afraid, but she had to pretend that she was. And since Mikael actually did make her a little nervous, it wasn't too terribly hard to do. Klaus, on the other hand, looked genuinely unnerved; though he tried to hide it.

Mikael looked exceedingly pleased with himself. After all these years, he finally had Klaus right where he wanted him – between a rock and a hard place. "Come out and face me, Niklaus, or she dies."

Klaus looked at Phoebe. Her face still held her false fear, but her eyes told a different story. They pleaded for him to listen to her, to trust her. Her lips mouthed the word 'no'. It was subtle, but it was there.

"Come outside and face me, you little coward. And I won't have to kill her," Mikael continued.

Klaus decided to call his bluff. "My whole life you've underestimated me. If you kill her, you lose your leverage."

"If she dies, this lot will be the last of your abominations," Mikael spat.

"I don't need them," he replied. "I just need to be rid of you."

"To what end, Niklaus? So you can live forever with no one at your side?"

Klaus' jaw clenched as he tried to hide how upset Mikael was making him.

"Nobody cares about you anymore, boy!"

Now Phoebe flinched. It wasn't that his words were too loud in her ear, as everyone most likely thought, it was because she was reminded of the visions she had seen of him taunting Klaus. The vision where he threatened Klaus with a blade, simply for having a little harmless fun with his siblings.

"Who do you have, other than those whose loyalty you've forced?" Mikael questioned. "No one. No one."

Klaus' eyes were watering, now.

Phoebe felt herself getting angry – hulk angry. This was her final straw with Mikael. This was her time to act.

Phoebe focused her mind and created a short burst of air between her and Mikael that exploded in all directions. Mikael, Phoebe, and the hybrid that was standing next to them all went flying in different directions. Phoebe was propelled forward towards Klaus. Were he human, he'd have been knocked down as well, but since he was not he caught her.

In the brief moment of confusion from everyone, Jenna and Hayley were able to take care of the hybrids outside with vervain and wolfsbane grenades. Damon leapt out of the shadows and attacked Klaus with the stake. He missed his heart, and his attack knocked Phoebe out of Klaus' arms and back outside, but he didn't give up. He had no idea why Phoebe had screwed up their plan, but he still had the opportunity to kill Klaus, and he was going to take it.

Phoebe heard Klaus scream in pain, and scrambled to her feet to help. Rebekah came flying out of nowhere and knocked Damon off of her brother. He was so confused. Why were they doing this? He didn't have much time to wonder, because a moment later Rebekah snapped his neck.

Mikael recovered from his trip through the air, and came flitting at Phoebe. He knocked her aside so hard, that she was likely to still feel it next week. "You little..." He moved in with every intention of killing her, but he never made it.

Klaus pulled the white oak stake out of his ribcage, and thrust it into Mikael's heart. Mikael screamed and flailed uselessly down the Lockwoods' front steps as he desiccated...and burned...

* * *

Suffice it to say, after the events with Mikael took place, the Homecoming party was ended, and everybody sent home. Klaus saw to it that his hybrids compelled them all to believe they had a good time, and never heard or saw anything supernatural happening. He also had a few of them take Mikael's body away – Phoebe didn't know where – and someone brought Damon back to the Boarding House.

Jenna and Hayley hightailed it out of there the moment Klaus killed Mikael. They had thought about grabbing Phoebe before leaving; but since she had just thwarted their plan to kill Klaus, clearly saving his life, she was in no danger with him.

They, on the other hand, were not in such good graces with the hybrid. Not to mention, Phoebe would likely have insisted on staying or going back to make sure Klaus didn't hurt their other friends who were not a part of this plan, but were still at the party.

Phoebe sat in Tyler's dad's old office, trying to map out how her fight with Damon was going to go. But all she could think about was the conversation she'd had with Rebekah only a few hours earlier.

Earlier That Night

"Okay, Klaus forced us to move the Homecoming dance here, to be on his terms, but the plan can still work," Phoebe began.

"How? Mikael can't get into the house to kill him," Rebekah argued.

"But Damon can." Phoebe waved her hands through the air to swat away the oncoming question from Rebekah. "I know it's a gamble for Mikael to trust Damon with the only weapon that can kill him; but as far as Mikael knows, every single one of us is on board with killing Klaus. So since Damon is the only one that's been invited inside, that isn't compelled by Klaus, it's the best option."

"So then what do we do about it?"

"What do _**you**_ do about it?" she corrected. "Damon will likely sneak in through the crowd of teenagers, and hide out until the time is right. He'll probably wait until Mikael is trying to bait Klaus into coming outside, using me as the bait – like the original plan says."

"So you want me to find Damon and take the stake from him," she guessed.

"No, you'll just make everyone nervous and suspicious." Phoebe thought hard and fiddled with her bracelet. "We'll need some kind of distraction to keep Mikael from sending the hybrids in to help Damon...I'll do something to distract Mikael. You just keep an eye out for Damon."

Rebekah nodded.

"And...try _**not**_ to kill him, please?"

Rebekah smirked. "I'll try."

Phoebe headed out of the office, but Rebekah stopped her.

"What about the stake? If I'm trying to take care of Damon and you're busy distracting Mikael, who's going to get their hands on the stake?" she asked. "Do you think we should tell Nik about this?"

Phoebe shook her head. "He'll be too angry that you helped us lure him into a trap. Besides, we need his reaction to everything to be genuine, otherwise Mikael is going to know something is up."

Rebekah nodded in agreement. "It's up to us girls, then."

"Two very clever girls against an Original vampire, an army of compelled hybrids, and about a dozen people who want Klaus dead...Who wouldn't bet on us?"

Present

"I'd have thought you'd gone home by now," Klaus remarked, entering the room.

"I'm trying to figure out what to say when they ask me why I saved you." She massaged her temple as though trying to soothe a headache. "Why I ruined their perfect plan to kill you once and for all."

"Why _**did**_ you save me?" Klaus asked.

"Simple answer?" she sighed. "I felt sorry for you. Your mother made you and your siblings into vampires, but your father made you monsters. By treating you the way he did, even when you were still humans, and by hunting you for a thousand years." Phoebe looked up at him now. "And when I saw how he was affecting you...when I heard how he spoke down to you...I couldn't just stand there and do nothing. I realize it was impulsive and emotional, but I stand by it. Whether or not everyone else will accept that answer, is a different story."

"By 'everyone' you mean Damon, I presume?"

Phoebe ignored his question. "Rebekah helped me, you know. Yes, she helped lure you here. Yes, like Elijah, she really thought she wanted you dead. But when I asked her if it was something she truly wanted, she told me she did not. That was when she and I, **_together_** , planned to save you."

"Why are you telling me this?" He still seemed angry with his sibling for trying to lure him into a trap.

"Because I don't want you taking another friend away from me, because you feel she needs to be punished for being temporarily angry with you," she explained. "I mean, technically, Bigby, your werewolf rage and aggression puts you in the unique position to be understanding of such things, seeing as your first instinct is to get revenge."

Klaus tried to fight it, but the innocent, yet coy look on her face made him smile. He took a deep breath. "If it pleases _**you**_...I'll let this one go."

Phoebe smiled. "Good."

"Bigby?" he questioned.

"Yeah. Bigby Wolf."

Klaus wasn't catching on.

"Big. B. Wolf," she repeated slowly.

"Ah! Big Bad Wolf." Klaus smiled his full smile that showed his dimples again. "Clever."

Phoebe shrugged. "I didn't make it up. It's from a comic book series." She sighed again, heading for the door. "Well, I guess I can tell them that you had some kind of contingency plan. That you ordered your hybrids to kill Matt, or Hayley, or someone else who was actually here. Or everyone that was here."

She was just reaching the front door, when Klaus called after her. "Don't be so specific."

Phoebe looked back at him, her face puzzled.

"If you're going to tell them that I had plans to kill someone you cared about as punishment for killing me – or trying to kill me – then you need to be more vague," he explained. "We villains tend to only be specific when we know there's no chance that we can be stopped, and you most certainly could have stopped me from fulfilling whatever threat I gave to you, so..."

"Be more vague," Phoebe finished.

Klaus nodded, walking over to where she stood. "Tell them I _**implied**_ that should any harm come to me that my hybrids _**might**_ feel the need to retaliate. Tell them that I merely pointed out that you have no shortage of loved ones to choose from – several of them being in attendance at this very party."

Phoebe thought it over carefully. It just might work. Feeding them that lie just might make the inevitable fight that was awaiting her at home go more smoothly. She hated to tell another lie, but the truth...Damon aside, the others would likely never stop being angry with her on some level for ruining a perfect plan to rid themselves of the Big Bad Klaus, all because she felt pity for him.

"...Thank you."

"No, thank you," said Klaus. "If not for you, I'd likely be dead right now."

Phoebe opened the front door, but hesitated. "If you really want to thank me, how about giving Stefan his freedom back? He can protect your asset just fine without being compelled to do so by you."

She left before Klaus could say a word in response, but he didn't need to. Though he felt Stefan would make a far better protector of Phoebe if he were compelled to make her safety a priority, they did have a closeness that compelled Stefan to keep her safe all on its own. So if she wanted Stefan's freedom as thanks for saving his life, then Stefan's freedom is what she was going to get.

* * *

Stefan and Damon were the only ones absent when Phoebe got home for her lecture. She kept quiet, letting them all get in their two cents, posing their rhetorical questions. They treated her like some kind of traitor. But, eventually, they tired of ranting and raving, and allowed her to explain herself.

Phoebe very seriously considered telling them the truth about her pity for Klaus. She was sure they would understand. And if it turned out they couldn't, then she could easily twist it to seem like it wasn't her as a person that felt pity on him, but her as an empath unable to keep from feeling pity for him - like Stefan had said.

But if she held enough doubt in her mind to feel the need to come up with a way of twisting the truth into a convenient lie, then there really wasn't any sense in telling the truth to begin with. So she went with the lie.

Their attitudes all changed instantly. Rather than being angry with Phoebe, they began to wonder how he knew they were plotting something. He was notoriously paranoid, but his threat made it seem like he was sure they were up to something. But how could he be? They'd purposely left Tyler out of their plan, just in case.

They were all still rather unhappy with Phoebe impulsively thwarting their plan, without warning them. Or without trying to figure something else out. But they understood. They understood that she was simply trying to protect them. Damon, however, was not so understanding.

"We thought of everything, Phoebe! Klaus having hybrids, Mikael turning on us, even the remote possibility that Klaus' hybrids would be on vervain! _**Anything**_ that could have gone wrong, we were prepaired!" he ranted. To say he was pissed would have been an understatement.

Phoebe sat quietly on the couch. Like she had with her family, it was better to let him get out his anger and frustration first.

"I don't understand, Phoebe. You hate Klaus. You wanted him dead." Damon grabbed a bottle to fix himself another drink, but he was far too angry to pour. He stared Phoebe down as he walked around the opposing couch. "I had him. I _**had**_ him, Phoebe! This could've all been over!" He threw the bottle into the fireplace. The fire roared.

"Hey!" Phoebe stood up to try and calm him. It appeared he was far angrier than she'd originally thought.

Damon turned away from her; and when she tried to grab his arm, he jerked it away. That stung. Damon raised his glass to his lips to finish the tiny bit that was still left before he sought the refill he never poured.

Phoebe's temper flared and she knocked the glass out of his hand. Now he looked at her.

"Dammit, Damon, I didn't have a choice! After Stefan left to get you and Mikael, Klaus gave me some vague threat about his hybrids hurting someone I care about, should any harm come to him." She did her best to mimic Klaus' mannerisms, just as she would if this had been the truth. "And as he was so kind to point out, I have no shortage of loved ones for him to choose from. Several of them already there at the party! I couldn't take that risk, Damon."

Damon's body seemed to relax slightly, but nowhere near as much as the others had.

Phoebe took a deep breath. "I don't think we should be trying to kill Klaus anymore."

"What?!" Damon couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"He's too smart. He's always going to be three steps ahead of us, no matter what we do."

"This isn't a game, Phoebe; this is so we can make you better."

"Exactly! And I say it isn't worth the risk," she told him.

Damon didn't know what to say. How could she just give up like this? It wasn't like her.

"Damon, think about it. Let's say we had succeeded in killing Klaus tonight, and tomorrow I wake up completely cured. What then?" she mused. "I die in a car crash someday? Cancer? Katherine decides that with Klaus dead she can finally kill me - because let's face it, we all know she hates me more than anyone else here? Or how about old age?"

"Stop."

"Oh, I bet you're just looking forward to those arguments. 'Damon, will you still love me and wanna be with me when I look like your grandmother?'."

"I said stop, Phoebe!"

"No, Damon, you stop!" she snapped back. "Stop trying to fix my human life, because it's never gonna happen! I still want to be a vampire. This isn't just some solution to me, it's something I want. Not because I'm insecure about you leaving me when I'm old, not because I'm afraid to die, not because I want to be with you forever, not because I want to live forever, not because of anything other than it's just what I want."

She moved in and took his face in her hands. "You told me once that you missed being human more than anything in the world. But you also told me that you knew what Katherine was and that you _**wanted**_ to become a vampire. So why is it so inconceivable for me to actually _**want**_ to become one too?"

Damon looked into her brown eyes. "Because when I try to picture you as a vampire, all I can see is Katherine. And that's not what I want you to become."

Damon gently removed Phoebe's hands from his face and walked away. And so began the end of Phoebe and Damon.

* * *

Phoebe knelt down, placing fresh flowers over John's grave. She hadn't slept well the night before, after her fight with Damon and everything else that had happened; so she got up early the next morning to talk to the one person she knew would actually let her talk.

"Hey, daddy. I know it's been a while since I came to visit you, but a lot's happened...I've changed. And I'm not entirely sure it's for the better. I callously told Rebekah how her brother killed their mother over a thousand years ago, just to get her on our side. I never stopped to think of how upsetting that would be for her. I mean, that would be like someone telling me in a few hundred years that it wasn't Klaus that compelled Isobel to kill herself, it was Elijah. I don't know how I'd even begin to process that.

"Speaking of Elijah, I argued so hard with him to not have anything to do with his own brother's death...I even told him to trust him when Klaus promised to take him to the rest of their family. And now here I am asking Rebekah to help us kill her brother. How can I go from asking one sibling to stay out of any plans to kill Klaus, to asking another to actually help us? I mean, technically all she was asked to do was confirm that Mikael was daggered, but..."

Phoebe's eyes were beginning to tear up. "I don't like this person I've started turning into. She's cold...like Katherine. All she cares about is getting what she wants from people, regardless of who gets hurt in the process. And that's not who I want to be. If I keep down this road, then Damon's going to turn out to be right. Vampire me is gonna be no different from Katherine Pierce.

"So I need to change. I need to start recognizing when I'm being selfish, and stop myself. I need to show that I care, again, regardless of how angry Damon and the others get. I'll stick to my story about Klaus having a contingency plan, but from now on I'm going to do what I feel is right. And if Damon doesn't like it, then...oh well." She wiped away a few stray tears from her cheeks.

"I guess I just felt I had to kill Klaus, that I had to hate him, because of everything he's done to me – everything he's taken from me. But the truth is...I don't hate him. I hate that he's done these things, but I don't hate _**him**_. I'm not saying I like him, but...I like his company. I like talking to him." A fresh wave of tears began to flow, now. "I'm sorry. I don't know if that's disrespectful to you or Isobel, because you're not here to ask. And I haven't seen Isobel since Bonnie sent the ghosts back to the Other Side."

Phoebe sniffled, and began whipping her face clean with her sleeves.

"He says he enjoys my company, too, and I'm hoping I can use that to my advantage. Primarily, I'd like to work on creating some kind of peace between him and us. With Mikael dead, and me unable to kill him myself, I see no reason he should be worried about any future plans to kill him. And I really think that if I explain my situation to him, he'd be understanding of my decision to become a vampire; and then maybe we could work out an arrangement for him to make as many hybrids as he can while I'm still alive, and not murder my entire family when I decide it's time to turn.

"I know, I know. I can hear your disapproving tone already. I'm sitting here talking about myself as a human blood bag for Klaus, but that is what I am. It's not all I am, but I am still a human blood bag, with a fast approaching expiration date. And I know I sound naive saying that I believe that Klaus will understand my situation, but I really believe it. I just hope everyone else comes around sooner rather than later."

* * *

Klaus had tried several times to reach his sister to make peace, but she never seemed to answer. This morning was no different. He was just leaving her another message, when Stefan called.

Klaus had kept his unspoken promise to Phoebe, and released Stefan from his compulsion last night. He had hoped that would be the end of it. He had hoped everyone would move on with their lives. He had hoped that, with their father dead, he could finally prepare to wake his siblings and have a family once again.

But his hopes were immediately crushed by Stefan's thirst for revenge. While Klaus had been rejoicing in his father's death, Stefan had been stealing the coffins in which Klaus kept his siblings.

"What are you doing?"

"Just enjoying my freedom," Stefan replied simply.

"I will kill you and everyone you've ever met," Klaus growled.

"You do that and you will never see your family again." Stefan paused for effect. Klaus said nothing. Good. He had Klaus just where he wanted him. "I wonder, Klaus, as someone who's been one step ahead for a thousand years...were you prepared for this?"


	54. The New Phoebe

Chapter 54: The New Phoebe

_"_ _September 26, 2010._

_It's been a little under two weeks, since homecoming. Damon is still brooding over our failure, and walking on eggshells around me. Everyone else seems to have moved on, but, then again, they didn't compare me to Katherine. Their ease of mind might also have something to do with the fact that no one has seen nor heard from Klaus since the dance. Now that I think about it, Stefan's been a bit scarce himself. I hope he hasn't done something to anger Klaus._

_In other news, Elena's training with Rick seems to be going well. She's really coming into her own. For a while there I felt like I was overshadowing her. But I guess that's just the way it goes with siblings. They each take turns in the spotlight, while the others kind of fade into the background, temporarily._

_For the longest time, Jeremy and I were the quiet ones, while Elena was the proud cheerleader dating the high school quarterback. Before that, it was me, genius child. Before that, it was Jeremy, newborn baby and only boy. Now it's Jeremy that's fading into the background, while both of his sisters take center stage._

_Speaking of Jeremy, he's been a bit...off, lately. I mean, I can't say I blame him, after everything he's been through. We lost our parents, he lost Vicki, and now he's lost Anna. And if that weren't enough, we're constantly having some kind of supernatural drama interrupt our lives. I almost hate to admit it, but with all of that, how could getting good grades in school possibly be a high priority? I keep up the best I can, because I wanna get out of this town AQAP; but for someone like Jeremy...I can see how graduating high school might not be something he really cares about. Or keeping a job at the Grill, for that matter._

_All of these things are trivial in the grand scheme of never-ending chaos that we have to deal with almost daily, so I can't blame him for his attitude. Still, I wish there was something I could do for him. He's my brother and I love him. I worry about him. I just don't know what to do for him."_

* * *

"I'm totally paranoid all the time," was the first thing Phoebe heard her sister say, when she entered the kitchen. Elena had just returned from a run with Matt, and Phoebe was just making her way downstairs.

"You have a right to be. Klaus is still out there, and he knows we tried to kill him," Jenna replied.

"Why hasn't he made a move?" Hayley wondered, passing the coffee to Phoebe. "There's been no sign of him for two weeks."

No one had an answer, however rhetorical her question might have been, and that frightened them more.

Rick joined them in the kitchen, slapping a document down onto the island for them all to see. "That's Jeremy's midterm paper. Copied it straight off the internet. Didn't even try to hide it."

They all stared at the giant, red letter 'F' on the report. To have failed because he misunderstood the assignment, or because he didn't do well would have been more acceptable. But to fail because he copy and pasted it directly from the internet, without even trying to rephrase anything?

Phoebe seemed to be the only one unphased – aside from Hayley. Jenna was just as concerned as Rick, and Elena seemed to be angry.

"It's just a midterm paper," said Hayley. "Lots of kids copy them from the internet."

"Yes, but they usually try to reword sentences here and there to keep from getting a failing grade," Rick explained.

"Still, I have to agree, it's nothing to get mad about," Phoebe mumbled between sips of her coffee.

"It's not that I'm mad. I'm just…I'm worried," Elena defended.

"Why? Because he lost his job at the Grill? I think he'll survive, Elena."

"He's spiraling," Elena snapped back. "Ever since Anna died, he's moody. He's not really talking to anyone."

"Isn't that a typical teenager?" Hayley questioned.

"Who's seeing ghosts and who's lost everyone that he cares about," Elena argued.

"Not everyone," Phoebe corrected.

"Yeah, he still has you, Jenna, Rick, Phoebe. Should I go on?"

Elena grew annoyed with Hayley. "Look, this has nothing to do with you, it's a family thing. So if you could-"

"Hayley is family." Phoebe shot her sister an unpleasant look. "And she hasn't said anything that I wouldn't have said myself, if she weren't here."

"Aren't you the least bit worried about him?" Elena challenged.

"Of course I am, Elena, he's my brother, too. But failing a midterm? Losing his job at the Grill? Those are-"

Jenna held up a hand to silence Phoebe. "Jeremy lost his job at the Grill?"

Phoebe kicked herself mentally. "Uh, yeah. Last week."

Elena looked at Jenna. "We have to talk to him, before it gets any worse."

Phoebe glanced over at Hayley, and stood up.

"Where are you going?"

"Away," said Phoebe. "You're losing your mind waiting for Klaus to react, so you're looking for something to obsess over. I'm going to stay out of it, so that when Jeremy decides he wants to avoid you and your judgment, he still has someone he can come talk to, when he's ready to talk."

Her comment seemed a bit harsh, but that didn't make it any less true. Trying to force Jeremy to talk about whatever was on his mind was only going to push him further away. By staying out of it, Phoebe would become the one he'd feel safe enough to talk to, whenever he finally decided – on his own – that he was ready to talk.

This wasn't the first time Phoebe had done this, and it always worked. But just as that was her way, it was Elena's way to play mother and nag him into talking to her. Just another way they were different, despite having the same face.

Hayley and Phoebe soon left for the Salvatore House, and Rick left to grade more papers. Once they were alone, Jenna and Elena began planning an intervention for Jeremy.

* * *

When the two arrived at the Boarding House, there was an unexpected visitor waiting outside for Phoebe. Hayley offered – without words – to stay outside with her, but Phoebe let her know in kind that she was fine to be alone with him.

"I thought you left town," she said.

Klaus stepped closer to where she stood. "My sister still seems displeased with me. I'd have thought that after helping to end our father, she'd gotten over whatever grudge she has against me."

"Well, you have done a lot to make her angry over the centuries, so I'm guessing it's gonna take some time to come around to forgiving you."

Klaus moved closer. "Truth is, I have a favor to ask of you. Two favors, actually."

"Oh, this should be good," Phoebe mumbled to herself.

"For starters, you can tell me where I might find Stefan."

Before Phoebe could tell him that she didn't know where he was, Damon flitted out and in between them, and answered for her. "Stefan skipped town. Sorry."

Klaus looked both amused and annoyed at Damon's interference. "Well, I'm afraid I wasn't asking you. I was asking Phoebe."

"She doesn't know where he is, either," Damon maintained.

"Are you so sure of that?" Klaus looked at Phoebe knowingly. She'd kept in touch with Stefan all summer. Who's to say she wasn't still in contact with him now?

"Trust me, if she knew where he was, she'd tell us."

Phoebe's eyes widened and she gave Klaus a pleading look. She begged him in her head not to say anything about their summer correspondence.

Klaus looked back and forth between the two, before ultimately deciding to take pity on Phoebe. "Well, you see, that is a shame. Your brother stole from me, and I need him found so I can take back what's mine."

"That sounds like a Klaus and Stefan problem."

"Well, this is me broadening the scope," Klaus shot back, all amusement leaving his tone.

"What did he steal?" Phoebe asked.

Klaus hesitated to answer in Damon's presence. "My family. The Originals. I had them daggered, boxed up, awaiting the day when I saw fit to wake them. And he went in and pinched the bloody lot."

"Well, I'd love to find him," Damon began bitterly. "Just, I sure as hell don't work for you."

"No, but Miss Gilbert might."

Phoebe and Damon both made faces of confusion.

"I've grown to rather like your little town. Thinking I might fancy a home here," Klaus began. "I imagine you're wondering how this affects you. And the answer is, not in the slightest. You're all free to go on living your little lives however you choose." He looked Phoebe in the eye. "You have my word."

"What does that have to do with her working for you?" Damon asked.

"I've just bought a house not far from here. It's a bit run down, could use some renovating. I'm looking for someone with a creative eye to help me." Klaus looked at Phoebe and smiled. "How about it?"

"Me? You want me to…I don't know anything about renovating homes," Phoebe stammered.

"Don't worry about the technical bits, I'll have my hybrids assist you with that. I just need someone to understand my vision for it and help me bring it to light. And if it's the pay you're worried about, rest assured I will pay you very generously."

"Not interested," Damon answered for her.

"I'm sorry, but I wasn't asking you. I was talking to Phoebe."

"The answer's still the same."

Phoebe wasn't sure why she said it. Maybe it was out of pettiness, because Damon kept declining for her. Maybe it was because she wanted an excuse to spend more time with Klaus. Or maybe she did it so she could use the opportunity to spy on Klaus. Who knows? But the next thing she knew, she was telling him, "I'll do it."

Damon spun around to look at her in surprise. " ** _What_**?"

Klaus smiled excitedly. "Excellent. I'll text you the address."

Phoebe nodded in response, and he flitted away.

Damon wasted no time in expressing his disapproval of her decision. He argued, and argued, and argued against it. He begged and pleaded for her not to do it ("If it's about the money, I can give you money."). He even offered to compel her any job she wanted, anywhere in the world.

But, still, Phoebe refused to back out of the job. She wanted to do it. It wasn't about the money, and she had no interest in having him compel her a job. It was as simple as she just wanted to do this. But that answer only seemed to frustrate him more. Why would she want to work for Klaus? First she saves his life, and now she's working for him? What was going on here?

* * *

While Phoebe and Damon fought, and Jenna and Elena planned their intervention for Jeremy; Bonnie followed her witchy instincts. For more than a week, now, she had been having a strange dream on a loop. In the dream, she saw four coffins in the basement of the old witch house. She'd tried ignoring it, but she'd finally had enough and decided to follow her dream to the house.

There in the basement – just like her dream – were four coffins, and Stefan. Stefan hadn't wanted to let anyone know where he was hiding the coffins, but it seemed the witches that were helping him hide them thought he needed more assistance than they could offer. So he told Bonnie why he took the coffins and how he planned to use them to get back at Klaus.

* * *

Jenna and Elena decided to hold their intervention over lunch. Phoebe wouldn't be home, and there was no sense in putting it off for another day.

"You ready for this?" Jenna asked.

"Vampires, hybrids, and Originals? No problem. My rebellious brother...I'm worried," Elena admitted.

"He's not rebellious, Elena," Jenna argued. "He's just...lost."

Almost as soon as the words left her mouth, Jeremy entered the house. "Don't mind me. Just passing through."

"Actually, I thought we'd all stay in for lunch and eat together," said Jenna.

"Why?"

"Maybe because you got fired and didn't tell anyone," Elena remarked. "Correction. You told Phoebe."

Jeremy suddenly realized what this was, and wanted nothing to do with it. He wasn't in the mood to be lectured and judged. "Look, can we do this later? I made plans with Tyler. He's right outside."

Jenna and Elena shared looks of concern. "When did you start hanging out with Tyler Lockwood?"

"I don't know. Does it matter?"

"Yeah, Jeremy, it matters. He was sired by Klaus. He's dangerous," said Elena.

Jeremy gave an unamused laugh. "You, of all people, are gonna lecture me on who I can and can't hang out with?"

"What is with the attitude?"

"Whatever. This is lame. Tyler's waiting."

Jeremy tried to leave, but Elena wouldn't let him. And when he looked to Jenna for support, she sided with Elena.

"Okay, fine. You want me to stay in? Let's all stay in," he said. Then, before they could stop him, he was calling out to Tyler, giving him permission to enter their home.

It was weird for them to welcome Tyler to their dining table, given everything. But even though they maintained that it was dangerous for Jeremy to be alone with the sired hybrid, Tyler was still their friend and didn't want to be rude.

Sensing the awkward tension, Tyler offered to leave, but Jeremy insisted that he stay.

"Unless, you know, you have to check in with your hybrid master," Elena remarked snarkily.

"It's not like that, Elena," Tyler argued.

"What is it like?" Jenna asked. "What exactly is the difference between being sired and being compelled?"

"Compulsion...that's just mind control, like hypnosis," Tyler began. "And being sired is...it's like faith. You do something because you believe it's the right thing."

"So you believe that serving Klaus is the right thing?"

"I don't serve him. Klaus released me from a curse that was ruining my life. I owe him for that," he explained.

"What if he asked you to...jump off a bridge?" Elena mused.

Tyler made a funny face. "He wouldn't. And even if he did, I'd be fine. I'm a hybrid."

Thinking more like a supernatural being, Jenna rephrased Elena's question for him. "Okay, then what if he asked you to rip out your own heart?"

"Again, he wouldn't."

"But what if he did?" Jenna pressed.

Tyler grew annoyed, and snapped back, "I don't know. Then I'd rip out my heart!"

Everyone, including Jeremy, stared at him in shock. How could you be okay with a willingness to kill yourself if someone asked you to? Someone who meant next to nothing to you. Someone like Klaus.

"You guys are getting all freaked out over something that you don't understand."

"You're right, Tyler, we don't understand," said Elena. "Klaus has terrorized every single one of us, and you're just blindly loyal to him."

"You're overthinking it," said Tyler. "I can still make my own decisions."

"Forgive me for saying so, but it doesn't seem that way, Tyler," said Jenna.

Eager to prove them wrong, Tyler chose to reveal something to them. He chose to tell them how Klaus had ordered him to spend time with Jeremy and get him off of vervain, and compel him to do whatever Klaus told him to do. That Klaus wanted to use Jeremy as a pawn to motivate them all to find Stefan for him.

"But I knew that wouldn't motivate Phoebe, it would only make her upset, so I didn't do it," Tyler finished.

They were all unsure why he specifically seemed concerned with how hurting Jeremy would affect Phoebe, rather than say that Jeremy was his friend or something more simplistic; but they didn't get the chance to ask. Tyler decided it was time for him to take his leave, and left the Gilbert house.

* * *

Klaus walked Phoebe around the remnants of the house he just bought, telling her his visions for the renovations. As they did this, there were several hybrids working away already to clear away some of the rubble.

"Well, what do you think?" Klaus asked her at the end of their tour.

"I don't know where Stefan is," she told him.

Klaus seemed a little lost as to why she was bringing up Stefan right now.

"I know you've probably got something in the works that's meant to motivate us to find him for you, but I truly don't know where he is, or your coffins. And I think you know that."

Klaus still said nothing. He was curious to hear how she thought he would already know she knew nothing of the whereabouts of his family.

"If I knew where they were, you'd have known long before now, because at least one of your siblings would be up and walking around," she told him. "I'm sure you can guess which one."

Klaus' eyes fell to the floor, and he forced a smile. "Elijah."

Phoebe nodded. "That's probably why Stefan hasn't spoken to me about taking your coffins. Because he knows I would want to wake Elijah, and then Elijah would probably team up with Rebekah and/or you to get the rest of your siblings back...One less Original to have to deal with."

Klaus nodded to himself. It made sense. "Speaking of my siblings that you've developed a fondness for...How is my sister?"

"As well as can be expected," Phoebe answered honestly. "She just found out the truth of how your mother died, so she has to work on forgiving your for that. Mikael may have been a monster, but I imagine she had some fond memories with him, so I'm sure that's hard for her. And she's angry with herself for what happened at homecoming. She tried to help us kill you, and then she succeeded in helping us kill your father. It's a lot to process. She needs time, Klaus."

He nodded silently once again.

Phoebe was about to return the topic of conversation to the renovations, when she received an urgent call from Jeremy. Something had happened with Jenna, and they needed her home ASAP.

* * *

It was an interesting scene, when Phoebe got home. Rick laying lifeless on their living room couch, while Elena, Jeremy, and even Damon and Hayley sat around waiting for her.

"What happened?" Phoebe asked.

"Jenna killed Rick," Damon responded callously.

" ** _What_**?" She looked to her siblings for confirmation. Their faces held no argument to what Damon had said. "Why?"

Elena hesitated.

"Go ahead, tell her," Jeremy encouraged.

"Tell me what?"

Elena sighed. "Rick came over to ask how our talk with Jeremy had gone."

Phoebe rolled her eyes. She'd expected them to talk to Jeremy at some point without her, but she hadn't expected them to do it so soon. "Let me guess. It didn't go well."

"Nope," said Jeremy.

"So she was talking to Rick about your little intervention, when she suddenly killed him?" Phoebe asked.

"It's what they were talking about, when I left to go upstairs," said Elena. "I heard Jenna's door slam, and when I came downstairs...It just doesn't make any sense. She loves Rick. Why would she do this?"

"Stress," said Phoebe. "She's had to deal with a lot, lately. Not just becoming a vampire and learning to resist eating the people she loves most, but also having to worry about all three of us." She gestured to herself, Elena, and Jeremy.

"She's right. All that stress builds up, until you just snap," Damon agreed. "For most people, it's just screaming at someone and saying things you'll regret. For a vampire, it's giving into your bloodlust. It's surprising that she's lasted this long."

"And a miracle that it was someone with a magic ring that protects them from supernatural death," Hayley added.

Phoebe nodded in agreement. "She still in her room?"

"Mhmm." Hayley held up Jenna's daylight ring. "She took this off so she couldn't come out and hurt anyone else."

Phoebe looked over at the stairs, trying to think of what to say to Jenna to make her feel better; but nothing came to mind. What could you say to someone in a situation like this?

"You gonna tell her the other thing?"

Phoebe snapped back to focus. "What other thing?"

"Tyler was here," Elena began. "Klaus ordered him to get Jeremy off of vervain and compel him to do whatever Klaus said."

Phoebe's eyes snapped over to Jeremy.

"But he didn't do it," Jeremy defended. "I'm still on vervain, and I haven't been compelled."

"That you know of," said Damon.

"You weren't here. He said he would never do that, because it would make Phoebe unhappy," Jeremy argued back.

Phoebe made the same face they all made when they first heard that part. "Why would Tyler care about **_my_** happiness?"

"I think the bigger question is what does he want with Stefan?" Elena asked.

"Stefan stole his coffins full of his dead family members," Damon answered.

"Coffins?"

"Yep. So all we have to do is find 4 coffins, and voila, no one else on your family's Christmas list needs to die," said Damon.

"Wait, that's your big plan, to steal back 4 dead Originals so this evil hybrid doesn't kill me and everyone else we know?" Jeremy challenged.

"You got a better idea?" Damon shot back.

"Yeah! Let's get the hell outta here! Pack our bags and go!"

"Jeremy, calm down," Phoebe coaxed.

"No! No, I'm not gonna calm down!" Jeremy gestured to their sister. "She gets on my case about school and work. Who cares? None of us are gonna make it out of this town alive." With that, he stormed off to his own room.

"He's not entirely wrong," Phoebe mumbled.

"How can you say that?" Elena questioned.

"Well, her judgment isn't exactly the best these days," said Damon. "She's currently renovating a house for the man who tried to you, her, and your little brother."

" ** _What_**?"

Phoebe rolled her eyes so hard, her entire head rolled with them, then she headed for the door. "I don't have time for this."

"Where are you goiing?" Elena called after her.

Phoebe stopped briefly to turn back and answer, "To find Stefan."

* * *

Tyler returned to Klaus' new house, where hybrids and humans were still working away to bring his vision to life. Klaus had called him there to rescind his previous orders to get Jeremy off of vervain, only to find out that Tyler had never done it.

"What do you mean you never did it? You're sired to me, you have to do what I tell you. Your highest priority in life is to do what is in my best interest, and doing what I tell you is in my best interest."

"But it's not in Phoebe's." The words slipped out of Tyler's mouth automatically, without even thinking. He hadn't even realized what he'd said, until he noticed the disconcerted look on Klaus' face.

Klaus stared Tyler down very intently. "What did you just say?"

* * *

It didn't take Phoebe long to figure out where Stefan might be. Now knowing that he had stolen Klaus' siblings, where else could he hide the 4 of them, but the witch house? Her theory was confirmed as she approached the front door, and it slammed closed in her face.

"Rude. Just rude," she told the witch spirits. She tried opening the door, but it wouldn't budge. There was only one thing for it. Phoebe closed her eyes and focused her strength in the form of her powers, until there was nothing left of the door. She had to do this a couple more times, until she reached the basement, where the coffins and Stefan were hiding.

"I should've known you'd find me here, eventually," Stefan sighed.

"And the coffins." She gestured to the Originals. Stefan seemed surprised that she could see them – they were supposed to be cloaked. "Hypersensitivity, remember?"

"I'm not giving them back," he told her. "And I'm not letting you wake Elijah, either. If you wake him, he's gonna want the others woken up, too, and I can't have that."

Phoebe explained to him how Tyler was ordered to get Jeremy off of vervain so that he could be compelled to do whatever Klaus wanted, but Stefan still refused to return even one Original. Phoebe eyed him curiously.

"What?" he asked.

"Well, I don't understand why you're acting this way. You're behaving as though you still have your humanity off, but I know for a fact that it's back on. So why are you acting like this?"

Were it anyone else asking, he'd have maintained his cold, uncaring behavior. But this was Phoebe. He took a breath. "I can't let it all back in. I don't want to. Not after everything I've done."

"Of course you don't want to. But if you don't let yourself feel then you're going to lose everything."

"I've already lost everything," Stefan argued.

"No, you haven't. You've still got me, Stefan." Phoebe took a moment to steady herself – using her powers to break through the doors had made her tired. "But if you keep down this path, then you will lose me, and you can't afford to do that."

"I'm doing this **_for_** you, Phoebe," he said. "You can't take Klaus on yourself. And you had to change our plan last minute, that's fine, I get it. But there has to be another way of stopping him. He doesn't just get to live forever."

"Why are you so obsessed with this?"

"Because Klaus took everything from me!" he snapped.

"But those things are still there for you to have, if you still want them," Phoebe told him.

"Well, maybe I don't want them anymore."

"Then what **_do_** you want, Stefan?"

Stefan knew what he wanted to say. He knew what he wanted, but that didn't mean he could have it. But it didn't matter, because he couldn't even bring himself to say it. Not now. Not yet.

His eyes fell. "Right now? Revenge. I want to show Klaus what it's like to lose everything you care about." He looked back up at her face. "And if you're truly my friend, you'll support me in this."

Phoebe wanted no part of his revenge fantasy, but if she at least agreed to help him, then it meant she was on the inside. It meant she could sabotage whatever plan he came up with. It meant it would be easier to talk to him about giving up this crusade, and going back to his life. Rejecting him would only alienate him further, and that was in no way helpful.

"Fine," she sighed. "If it gets this all over with quicker, I'll support your crusade."

* * *

"You sure about this?" Rebekah asked, staring up at the Gilbert house.

"No, but it's the best idea I can come up with," Phoebe answered. She walked up to the front door, opened it, and then gestured for Rebekah to come inside. "Please, come in."

To say everyone was less than pleased with Phoebe for inviting another Original into their home would be an understatement. To say that they were pissed would still be an understatement. But she had a reason – a good reason.

"Only an Original can compel another vampire," Phoebe began.

"You wanna compel Jenna?" Elena questioned.

"Only if she wants to be."

"Why would she want to be compelled?" Damon asked as though the mere idea were stupid.

"She doesn't trust herself around any of us. Look how long it took her to be even remotely okay with being around us, much less alone with us. What happened with Rick has set back all that progress. That's why she took off her ring." Everyone kept quiet to listen to her explanation, because, as usual, it made sense. "If she's willing, we can offer to have Rebekah compel her to never harm one of us again, no matter how hungry she gets or how angry."

"Do it," said Jenna, appearing on the stairs. "I don't want to hurt anyone again, and if I have to confine myself to the house anymore, I'm going to go crazy. So, please, just do it."

Rebekah sat with the others in the living room to work on the wording of the compulsion and such, while Phoebe went upstairs to talk to Jeremy. She told him that Rick was now awake and fine, and that they had found a solution for Jenna.

"That's great," said Jeremy. "I mean, I'm not exactly stoked to be giving another Original access to our house, but it's not like Jenna woulda been okay with leaving to meet Rebekah elsewhere."

Phoebe made a gesture that said she was happy someone understood that fact. "Exactly! Everyone's always too busy being upset with my decisions to ever truly understand why I made them."

"Most people just don't get you in general, Pheebs," he laughed.

"This is true." Phoebe took a deep breath. "So I was thinking about what you said earlier. About how we should pack up and leave."

"I didn't mean any of that," he argued.

"Yes, you did. And that's okay. I agree with you," she admitted. "This town is a hellhole, and I want to get out of here just as bad as you do. That's probably the only reason I even bother to keep up with my schoolwork. So I can graduate and then leave."

"Why wait? Why don't we all pack up and leave right now?"

"Because there are still some things that I have to do here. And Jenna can't leave yet, she's still learning control. Rick's not gonna leave Jenna, Matt can't afford to leave, Elena will never leave all these people behind...We all have our own excuses that we can't rid ourselves of."

"Well, I'm not gonna leave all of you behind, either."

Phoebe took another deep breath, and fiddled with her bracelet. "Jer, you and I have lost more than anyone else in this town. We've loved and had our hearts broken by loss more times than anyone else, lately, and it's a miracle we're still going."

Jeremy didn't argue.

"If I could, I'd leave so fast, but I can't. You can."

Jeremy looked confused. "I can't leave. Not without the rest of you."

"You can."

He still wasn't catching on.

"I won't force you into it, it's still your choice," she began. "But if you'd like, I can have Rebekah take away your fears about leaving us here." Jeremy opened his mouth to argue, but Phoebe cut him off. "You deserve a normal life, Jeremy. So does Elena, and Matt, and so many others. But only a few of us actually have that option. Even less of us will actually choose that option."

"And what makes you think I'm going to choose that option?" he challenged.

"Because I know you about as well as you know me," she replied. "You and I have always been a lot alike, Jer, and I can tell you're just as tired as I am with all of this supernatural drama. But I can't leave it. I'm too much a part of it to be able to leave it all behind. You can, though."

Jeremy said nothing.

"You don't have to decide right now. Take your time to think about it. But really think about it. Okay?"

He nodded. "Okay."

* * *

Damon waited for everyone to settle down for the night, before entering through Phoebe's window. They'd been growing distant for a while, now, and he wanted to remedy that. He missed her. He loved her. This constant fighting and separation was reminding him of when she hated him, and it was painful.

Phoebe had just finished changing, when she sensed him behind her. "Here to make sure Rebekah didn't secretly compel Jenna to eat us in our sleep," she joked.

"Actually," he started, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind. "I thought I might stay with you tonight. It's been a while since we slept together."

Phoebe closed her eyes and took a deep breath to steady herself. She pried his arms away from her, then turned to face him. "That sounds nice."

"You say that, but you behave as though you mean the opposite," he noted. "What's wrong?"

"I'm keeping my job, Damon. I'm going to keep renovating Klaus' house."

It took everything in him to keep his voice low, so as not to disturb the others in the house. "Why, Phoebe? The guy tried to kill your brother."

"You don't know that. He might have just compelled him to do something dangerous to frighten us."

Damon gave her a look that said he thought she was being naive.

"I'm not saying that I don't think there's even a remote chance that he intended to kill Jeremy, I'm just saying that I think he's smarter than that. Killing Jeremy is not the way to make me do a damn thing for him, and he has to know that by now."

Damon bit his tongue, and sighed away his anger. "I don't wanna fight with you, Phoebe. All we've been doing is fighting, lately, and I'm tired of it. I miss you."

"I don't wanna fight, either," said Phoebe.

"Then let's just go to bed," he suggested. "It's been a long day, and we're both tired."

Phoebe thought for a moment, then walked over to her side of the bed. She started to get comfy, but then noticed Damon hadn't moved. He seemed to be waiting for her permission to stay. She threw back the covers on his side, and patted the mattress.

Damon stripped down to his underwear – his usual sleepwear – and got into the bed. Phoebe put away her glasses, turned off her light, and laid her head down on Damon's chest. It had only been two weeks since the last time they had slept together; but when you're used to sleeping next to someone every night and then suddenly stop for two weeks, it's an odd feeling to suddenly go back to it. Nice, but still odd.

Damon held her as he usually did, and smiled to himself. He missed this. "I love you," he whispered to her.

"You, too," she replied.


	55. Chapter 55: Our Town

Chapter 55: Our Town

Phoebe checked her notes and blueprints, as she directed more hybrids to their work. The renovations to Klaus' new home were really coming together, and the hybrids didn't seem to hate her as much as they had when she first started this job, so that was a plus.

"You seem to be taking over rather quickly," Klaus observed, joining her company.

"Well, it's easy to do, when you've ordered your hybrids to do what I say." She gave him a cheeky smirk. "Within reason, that is. And you've compelled the human workers to do what I want." She held up a finger to stop any response momentarily. "Also within reason."

"And yet, despite all these fine young men and women at your disposal, you still seem to be making a mess of yourself." Klaus gestured to the smudges of drywall, dirt, paint, and several other things all over Phoebe.

Phoebe shrugged. "What can I say? I don't mind getting my hands dirty."

"Hands, arms, face, clothes."

Phoebe rolled her eyes playfully.

"I'm told the guest bathroom upstairs is now functioning. Why don't you get yourself cleaned up?" he suggested.

Phoebe gave him a look that said she didn't mind being dirty, but still headed upstairs to the bathroom to clean up. She turned on the shower, rather than the sink, stripped off her clothes, and stepped inside.

The warm water felt good on her skin, and the steam felt nice in her lungs. She let the water pour over her head and down her body for a few minutes, before actually trying to rub away the smudges.

"Here. This might work a bit better," came Klaus voice from behind her. He used a bath sponge to begin wiping away the smudges on her arms and face.

Phoebe hadn't even noticed him entering the bathroom, much less the shower. Still, she didn't seem to mind him being there, helping her clean up. Her heart had quickened – either from the shower or his presence in it – but she never complained. She only stood there watching him.

"There. All clean," he declared, when he was finished.

Phoebe reached up to grab his hand to stop it from getting too far away from her face. She took the sponge away, and pressed her face against his hand instead.

Klaus caressed her cheek with his thumb, as he stepped closer. He leaned in as though to kiss her, but instead turned away to begin kissing her neck.

Phoebe closed her eyes, and let out a quiet moan. Her hand raised to tangle itself in Klaus' curly hair.

"Phoebe." It wasn't Klaus' voice. "Phoebe, wake up. Phoebe!"

Phoebe's eyes snapped open. Suddenly she was laying in her bed at the Gilbert house, instead of standing in a shower with Klaus. She sat up in bed, feeling a little relieved it had only been a dream.

"Who were **_you_** dreaming about?" Jeremy questioned, teasingly.

Phoebe tried to play dumb. "What are you talking about?"

"You were moaning in your sleep."

Phoebe's cheeks flushed.

Jeremy laughed. "Must not have been Damon."

"What makes you say that?" she questioned.

"If it were Damon, you wouldn't be this embarrassed," he noted. "And if you were that hot for Damon – and you sounded pretty hot for whoever it was – you two would be jumping each other while you were awake, not in your dreams."

"Okay, this conversation is over." Phoebe threw back the covers, stepped out of bed, and left the room.

* * *

_"September 27, 2010._

_I spoke to Klaus today. He told me he never had any intention of harming Jeremy; he just wanted him off of vervain so that we would think he did. He was hoping that the fear of him compelling Jeremy to hurt himself would be enough to motivate us to find Stefan for him. But in truth, he never would have hurt Jeremy._

_Everyone else thinks he's just lying to me so that I'll continue to work on his house, but I believe him. If he really had plans to hurt Jeremy, he'd have found out long before now that Tyler hadn't actually done what he was told to do, because he would have been in a hurry to get started 'motivating' us._

_Speaking of Tyler not doing what he was ordered to do, how was that even possible? Hybrids are instinctually compelled to do what they feel will make their creator happy. Tyler showed that when he almost ruined everyone's plan to capture Stefan at the bonfire. He flat out told them that he couldn't help them, because it wasn't in Klaus' best interest._

_The hybrids are sired to Klaus. They have to do what he says, what they think will make him happy. So why does Tyler care about making me happy? Why would the idea of me being unhappy stop him from carrying out Klaus' orders?"_

_"September 30, 2010._

_Rick, Hayley, and I think we've finally figured out why Tyler disobeyed Klaus' order to get Jeremy off of vervain. Mind you, it's just a theory; but he thinks the hybrids are also sired to me! It sounds crazy, I know, but once I explain, it'll make sense._

_The hybrids are sired to Klaus, because his blood created them. He freed them from their curse of turning every full moon. But my blood helped them complete the transition. Without me, they'd have all died, like Ray and the other wolves that failed to transition back in the Smoky Mountains. So if they're grateful to Klaus, why can't they also be grateful to me?_

_We haven't told the others about this theory – we don't wanna get their hopes up – but we have been looking for a way to test it. You'd think it'd be easy with all the hybrids surrounding me almost every day, as I work on Klaus' house, but they've all been told to do as I say. How do test whether or not someone will listen to what you tell them to do, if they've already been ordered to do just that?"_

_"October 10, 2010._

_It's been a couple of weeks since I offered to have Rebekah compel Jeremy to leave town, and he finally accepted a few days ago. Honestly, I think he wanted to say 'yes' when I first asked him, he just wanted to take his time to make sure he wasn't being rash. I made the same offer to Matt a few days after I asked Jeremy, but he immediately said 'no'. He said as sick as I was, he wasn't going to leave me here; so unless I was planning to leave town, too, he wasn't going anywhere._

_We've got some old family friends in Denver that Jeremy's going to stay with. They've cleared a room for him, set things up for him to transfer to the high school there. Everything's set. All that's left is for Jeremy to say his 'goodbye's, and head off. He's already packed, been compelled, informed our school. Like I said, everything's set._

_I'm gonna miss him. A lot. But this is what he needs. This is safer for him. This will be good for him. And knowing that, makes it all a bit easier. But onto lighter things! Today_ **is** _Caroline's birthday, after all."_

* * *

With Phoebe's homeschooling and Jeremy currently in the process of moving, Elena was the only Gilbert at Mystic Falls High. But today, that didn't seem to bother her. Today was Caroline's birthday, and she was preoccupied decorating her locker with Bonnie.

Everything was going rather well – they had streamers, balloons, etc. That is, until Elena broke the news to Bonnie that Jeremy was leaving town. At first, she couldn't believe that Jeremy would just leave Phoebe, Elena, and Jenna behind. But Elena explained that he had been compelled not to worry about them anymore. To leave Mystic Falls and not look back.

Bonnie bit her tongue out of respect for her friend, but inside she was screaming. As a witch, and someone who generally didn't like vampires, she was furious that Elena and Phoebe would have their own brother compelled. That they could take away his choices like that. It just wasn't right.

* * *

"What's with the dead hybrid?" Phoebe asked, entering the basement of the witch house.

"He was snooping around, so I, uh, tore out his heart," Stefan replied.

Phoebe looked back at the body. "Not gonna do anything about the body?"

"Well, I knew you'd be here soon, so I didn't have time to get rid of it, before you got here." He gave her a look that implied he didn't trust her. And he was right not to. If she was given the chance, she'd wake Elijah in a heartbeat. But Stefan made sure to never give her the chance, only leaving the coffins alone when he knew she was too busy to drop by and wake him.

Phoebe shrugged. "Can't blame a girl for trying."

Stefan's face said he disagreed with that comment, but didn't voice it. Instead, he watched as she traced her fingers over Elijah's coffin, while looking around at the other three.

"Alright, so the Original family had seven children. Klaus, Rebekah, Elijah, Finn, Kol, Henrik, and one kid that died in the old world." Phoebe leaned against Elijah's coffin, like it was a kitchen counter. "Henrik died a thousand years ago from werewolves. We know where Klaus and Rebekah are, and these three coffins are currently housing Elijah, Kol, and Finn. So who is in the lockbox?"

"No idea. But whatever's in there, Bonnie seems to think it will help us kill Klaus," said Stefan. "So the sooner she can get this thing open, the sooner we'll know if she's right."

"Well, you'd think the spirits of a bunch of dead witches that can make a coffin invisible, that they'd figure out how to open one." Phoebe looked around her as though someone were there, with a snarky expression on her face.

Phoebe wanted the coffin opened just as badly as Stefan and Bonnie, just not for the same reason. Where they wanted him dead, she wanted to know what it was she had to keep from them so that they couldn't kill him. The simplest answer might have been to give the coffins back to Klaus so they couldn't open it in the first place, but that solution came with more problems than it was worth.

If she told Klaus where to find the coffins, Stefan would never trust her again. Losing the trust of a friend was bad enough, especially when you were all they had; but if he didn't trust her enough to confide his plans in her, how would she stop him in the future? Besides, what was to stop Stefan and Bonnie from finding a way to steal the coffin back? It was just better to play along, for now.

"You know, none of this is gonna do us any good, if Klaus' hybrids find our hiding spot, right? They need to go away."

"And how do you expect to get him to do that? By asking him nicely? Pretty please with sugar and sprinkles on top?" The sarcasm was heavy in her tone.

Stefan rolled his eyes. "By calling his bluff."

"What bluff?"

"Klaus keeps threatening to hurt or kill people we know, if we don't give him what he wants, but he's bluffing. He isn't actually gonna risk pissing you off," he explained.

Phoebe looked at him as though he were spouting nonsense. "You do realize that he knows I can't use my powers to defeat him anymore, right? So it's not a bluff. He doesn't care about my feelings on what he does or doesn't do."

"True, but if he gets on my bad side, I just might drop one of his brothers in the Atlantic Ocean."

"Stefan...the only way to call someone's bluff, is to be willing to lose **everything** if you're wrong."

Stefan shrugged. "I'm willing to go all in. How about you?"

Phoebe closed her eyes and sighed. "What's your plan?"

* * *

Later that day, having grown tired of watching her work from afar, Klaus decided to strike up a conversation with the object of his desire.

"Did I not say that you would be perfect at this job?" he asked rhetorically.

Phoebe smiled to herself. "Yes, you did. And I did not believe you."

Klaus gestured to their surroundings. "I believe your work speaks for itself."

Phoebe's smile grew. He'd been flattering her for the past couple of weeks, now. She'd be lying if she said it hadn't been nice.

A few more compliments later, and they were leaning over some house schematics together. The two were very close, but only Klaus seemed to notice it. At least, not until Phoebe tried to take a drink of her coffee.

It was just as she was bringing the cup to her lips that her hand began to shake, and she dropped the beverage entirely. Klaus smiled in amusement, assuming that it was his close proximity to her that made her nervous. But in fact, it was something else that was affecting her motor skills.

Phoebe had been having trouble sleeping lately, and with her immunity to sleep aids going up, she'd been having to take more and more. So much, in fact, that they were beginning to make her hands shake.

"I'm so sorry," Phoebe apologized.

"Not to worry, love. It's only a cup of coffee," he replied. "I believe the guest bathroom on the second floor is working. Why don't you get yourself cleaned up? I'll take care of this."

Phoebe's cheeks flushed at the memory of her dream, and how familiar this scenario was beginning to become. Still, she had coffee all over her, and needed to clean herself off somewhere. So she headed up the stairs to the guest bathroom to do just that.

Klaus was just beginning to wipe up the spilled coffee, when he sensed someone familiar standing behind him. "I'm surprised you're still in town. I gave you your freedom, you could have gone anywhere."

"I live here, Klaus," Stefan replied.

"Well, if we're playing this game, then I was here first."

"Ya know, I don't like your hybrid friends. They're everywhere, kinda like flees. I want them gone."

Klaus turned to face him now. "Yeah, well, I kind of like having them around."

"Klaus, get your hybrids out of Mystic Falls, or I will remove them myself."

"Hmm. You see, if you continue to threaten me, I'm gonna be forced to retaliate. Kill people. And it'll get messy, again."

Stefan shrugged. "Do whatever you want. I don't really care. Or, you know what? Maybe I do. Maybe I care so much, that I drop Elijah in the Arctic."

Klaus gave a dry laugh. "You wouldn't dare harm Elijah, Phoebe cares too much for him. And you care far too much for Phoebe to upset her like that."

"Try me. Let's find out."

The two stood there staring one another down, until one of the hybrids decided to come over, and ask, "Is everything okay?"

"Everything's fine. Stefan was just leaving, after failing to make his point," Klaus replied, eyes still on Stefan.

Stefan grabbed a nearby tool, and sliced the hybrid's head clean off. "Well, one down. You may want to, uh, send the rest of them away, before it gets messy…again."

Klaus glared after Stefan, as he walked out of his house. Oh, how he wished he could kill him. But that would do nothing but upset Phoebe, and, like the other hybrids, he couldn't do that to her.

While the boys were talking downstairs, Phoebe was having her own issues upstairs. She had only just finished cleaning herself off in the sink, when she felt lightheaded. Not the mild lightheaded that makes you sway on your feet a little; the kind that makes you fall to your knees. It lasted only a moment or so, but it was still rather intense.

And no sooner had the moment passed; Phoebe's phone began to ring. It was Matt. He was calling to tell her that Caroline's birthday was canceled. She hadn't gone to school even, because she didn't feel like celebrating her birthday. She had said it only served to remind her that she was dead and eternally stuck in a filler year.

"Tell everyone to stay there, and have Caroline get dressed. I'll be there shortly," Phoebe ordered.

"Uh, Pheebs? Did you not hear me? She doesn't want a party," Matt told her.

"I heard you. And I'm not going to give her a party. I have a better idea."

* * *

"This is creepy. Even for us," Bonnie remarked, following Phoebe into the crypt. Elena, Matt, Caroline, and Tyler weren't far behind.

"No, Caroline was right. Technically, she's dead." Phoebe glanced at Caroline. "Sorry. But you don't need a birthday, you need a funeral. You need to say goodbye to your old life, so that you can move on with your new one."

Caroline seemed to like the idea, so she went with it. "Okay. Here lies Caroline Forbes. Cheerleader."

"Co-Miss Mystic Falls," Phoebe added, putting candles on her cake.

"Third grade Hopscotch Champion," Elena chimed in, helping her sister.

"Friend. Daughter. Overachiever," said Bonnie.

"Mean girl, sometimes, no offense," Matt threw in.

"Ah. None taken."

Phoebe picked up the cake to bring to Caroline, but her hands began to shake. She passed the cake off to Elena to hold, as a safer precaution. "She was 17 and she had a really good life. So rest in peace so that you can move forward. That's what you really need."

"It's what we all really need," Tyler agreed.

"Amen, or cheers, or whatever," said Matt. Everyone laughed.

Bonnie used her magic to light the candles on Caroline's cake.

"Make a wish."

Caroline looked around at her friends. She was truly fortunate to have such a caring group of friends. And she was thankful to have turned her old enemy – Phoebe – into such a good friend. What more could she wish for?

* * *

Damon had to repress a gag at the sight. It was already surprising enough that Klaus was here, at the Council Fundraiser. But to watch him try charming Carol Lockwood…and the way she was just eating it up. It made Damon sick

He tried putting an end to it by informing Carol of just who it was she was flirting with, but she already knew and didn't seem to care. Klaus had given her his word to protect Tyler and their town, noting that his only need for the hybrids were because Stefan had stolen his family.

Given this, Carol warned Damon to get his brother under control, or else the Council would take action against Stefan. Anything to prevent the humans of the town from becoming collateral damage in the war between Stefan and Klaus.

Then, as if on cue, Damon spotted his baby brother heading upstairs. He was following one of Klaus' hybrids. Damon excused himself to stop his brother.

"What are you doing?" Damon questioned, stopping Stefan just in time. "No dead hybrids at the Founders' Party!"

"No. I told Klaus to get his hybrids out of town. He didn't listen, so now I'm saying it louder," Stefan argued.

"You don't think there's 10 more where that came from?" Damon gestured to the unconscious hybrid. "And if you kill them, Klaus won't make 20 more?"

Stefan didn't seem to care.

"Have you forgotten about Phoebe's part in all this, or do you not care if she's a human blood bag for the rest of her life?" Damon reminded him.

Stefan nodded, with a smile that made Damon feel uncomfortable. "You know what, Damon, you're right. To beat the villain, I have to be the better villain."

Damon wasn't sure if it was the way he'd said that, if it was what he said, or the look in his eye as he walked away; but something about his brother's overall attitude screamed bad news.

* * *

Back at the crypt, Caroline's funeral was in full swing. Everyone was reminiscing about their past experiences with Caroline, when she was human, eating cake, and passing around a bottle of tequila – only Phoebe wasn't drinking.

"Gimme," said Matt, reaching for the bottle.

"Uh-uh. I need it more than you do, trust me," said Elena, taking it from him. As she took a swig, she noticed her sister messing with her phone. "Phoebe, who are you texting?"

Phoebe looked up from the tiny screen. "Hmm? Oh, uh, Rebekah. She wanted to come, but-"

"Put that away, and have fun with us," Elena interrupted. "This was your idea, afterall."

"Lay off. You can't control what everyone does all the time," Bonnie sniped.

Everyone turned to look at Bonnie. They were surprised to hear her speak to Elena like that.

"Wow," said Elena.

"Ouch."

"I'm sorry," Bonnie apologized, after seeing the looks on all their faces. "I know it's Caroline's birthday, funeral or whatever, but…I just feel it's really wrong that you compelled Jeremy to leave town. I know you think you're doing it to protect him, but he should be able to choose how he wants to live his life. You're taking his choices away."

Phoebe felt the anger building in her. She was really getting tired of witches and their judgmental attitudes.

"Bonnie, you can't tell him," Elena pleaded.

"Why? Are you gonna compel me not to?" Bonnie shot back.

"Alright, I've had enough of this crap," Phoebe declared.

"Phoebe," Elena began.

"No, no more tiptoeing around her feelings. She doesn't seem to give a damn about ours, so why should I care if she doesn't like the truth?"

"What truth?" Bonnie asked.

"Jeremy chose to be compelled to leave. I made an offer to him to have Rebekah compel him to not worry about leaving us behind, if he wanted to get out of this hell-hole of a town, and he accepted. We didn't force him, he chose to do it. You may have a crush on him, but he's our brother. And you have no right to judge us for trying to keep him safe."

Phoebe took her leave, after that. Matt tried to follow her to ask what had gotten into her, but it was like she had disappeared as soon as she left the crypt.

* * *

"What are you doing, Stefan?" Phoebe asked.

Stefan didn't answer her. Instead, he answered the incoming call on his phone. "Hello, Damon."

"Where are you?" Damon asked.

"Making my next move."

Damon didn't like the sound of that.

"Let me ask you something. What's Klaus gonna do if he can't make anymore hybrids?"

Phoebe's head snapped around to look at Stefan. What the hell was he talking about?

"Leave her out of this, Stefan," Damon warned.

Stefan ended the call with his brother there.

Phoebe eyed him uneasily, trying to figure out what he was up to. Was he bluffing? Was he trying to make Klaus think he would hurt Phoebe? If so, why hadn't he just spoken to Phoebe about this? Had he finally lost it, and decided that getting revenge on Klaus was more important to him than maintaining his friendship with Phoebe?

Meanwhile at the Council Party, Damon looked down at his phone in fear. He wasn't afraid that his brother would do anything to hurt Phoebe – Stefan would never do that. But Phoebe had mentioned wanting to become a vampire, and doing that would make her blood useless to Klaus. Were she and Stefan planning to turn her right now, just to force Klaus' hand? Damon hadn't exactly heard her screaming for help in the background.

Damon took off to find Klaus, before it was too late. If he could convince him that his brother would in fact hurt Phoebe to get what he wanted, then maybe Klaus would do what Stefan wanted. Maybe then, he could buy himself more time to try his idea of killing Klaus to cure Phoebe, instead of letting her become a vampire.

"What now?" Klaus asked, stepping into an empty room with Damon. "You just pulled me away from a fascinating conversation about landscaping the town square."

"Stefan has Phoebe," said Damon.

Klaus didn't seem concerned in the slightest. "So?"

"He's gonna try to use her against you," Damon explained. "Do what he says. Get rid of your hybrids."

"Or what? Stefan would never dream of killing her."

Damon tried upping his own concern for the situation at hand. "Are you sure about that? He just tried to behead someone in the middle of a council party. He's operating on crazy right now."

"Well, crazy or not, he cares far too much for her to actually seriously harm her. He's bluffing."

"Maybe he is, maybe he isn't, but if you don't believe him, believe me." Damon moved in real close to Klaus in order to convey his fears better, and hopefully convince Klaus to do what Stefan wanted. "I know my brother better than anyone and right now I have no clue how far he's willing to take this. So, if he says blink, I suggest you blink."

Back in Stefan's car, Stefan is trying to figure out what's going on with Phoebe. They planned all of this only this morning. So why was she acting like she didn't remember? She seemed genuinely upset right now. But maybe Stefan could use that to his advantage. Klaus could probably see through an act of fear, but if she were genuinely afraid of Stefan's behavior…

Stefan ignored Phoebe's continued demands for an explanation of his actions, and called Klaus.

"Stefan. How nice to hear your voice," Klaus answered. His tone was light and not at all worried.

"Tell your hybrids to get out of town, Klaus," Stefan demanded.

"Well, that's not going to happen until I get my coffins back."

Stefan gave an unamused laugh – he'd expected as much. "Ok. Well, then I'm going to drive your blood source off Wickery Bridge."

Phoebe stared at Stefan in surprise. He couldn't be serious. Could he?

Keep his voice level, Klaus called his bluff. "I don't believe you, Stefan. You won't kill her."

Stefan bit open his wrist, then, taking both hands off the wheel, he forced Phoebe to drink his blood. The only thing Klaus could hear on his end were the muffled screams of Phoebe's protest.

"What's going on?" Klaus asked. Now he was growing concerned.

"I just fed her my blood," Stefan answered. "No more hybrids if she's a vampire."

"You won't do it," Klaus maintained.

"Really? Try me, because you're coffins are next to go." Stefan sped up the car. "Say goodbye to your family, Klaus."

"Stefan, slow down!" Phoebe cried. She was truly starting to get scared. "Stefan!"

Klaus cringed at the sound of her fear, and caved. "Fine. I'll send them away. You win."

Stefan still didn't slow down.

"Stefan, stop!" Phoebe screamed.

"Stop the car, Stefan!" Klaus shouted into the phone.

Stefan slammed on the breaks, just as they reached the bridged. Hearing the tires come to a screeching halt, and that there had been no sounds of them hitting water, was enough for Klaus. He ended the call on his end, and headed off to do what Stefan had forced him to.

Phoebe stared out at the road in front of them, trying to will her legs to move. It wasn't until Stefan tried to speak to her that she found that will, and exited the car faster than she thought possible.

"Phoebe, wait," Stefan called after her. He stepped out of the car, too, and began to follow her up the road.

"Stay away from me," she snapped.

"Phoebe, get in the car."

Phoebe spun around, nearly hysterical and still shaking. "How could you?! If you wanted to scare Klaus into sending away his hybrids, you could have come to me with your plan. You didn't need to put me through this, just to get what you wanted."

"I did come to you, Phoebe, this morning," he argued. "When we were at the Witch House. Phoebe, we made this plan together. Don't you remember?"

Phoebe stared at him blankly for a moment, trying to remember, but nothing came to mind. Not even a glint of familiarity. But what reason would he have to lie to her about that? She wasn't known for having memory problems, so telling her that she'd forgotten something this huge wouldn't have made her any less angry with him. So **_how_** **_could_** she have forgotten something so huge?

Phoebe shook her head. "I don't remember talking to you about this at all."

Worried that Klaus might have used magic to send some sort of look-a-like, or had someone possess Phoebe's body, he asked, "Phoebe, where were you this morning?"

Again, Phoebe shook her head. "I don't remember. I remember going to sleep last night, and then…nothing. The most recent thing I remember is being at work at Klaus' house."

"Klaus must've sent someone who looked like you to talk to me this morning. Or had someone possess your body, like he possessed Rick."

"No. No, if I'd been possessed, then I'd have felt something was wrong. Suddenly waking up and then part of the day is gone? Already dressed and at work?" Phoebe shook her head. "And if he had sent a look-a-like I'd still remember where I was and what I was doing this morning, and I don't. I don't remember anything about this morning, Stefan, and I can't be compelled."

"Could this be part of your condition? Some kind of memory loss?" Stefan asked.

"No, my condition has nothing to do with…" Phoebe's face held an expression of realization.

"What? What is it?"

"They took my memories," she whispered – more to herself, than to answer Stefan.

"Who?"

"Who else?! The witches."

"Why would they do that?"

"To avoid the chance of this plan not working." Stefan still looked lost. "Think about it. If I remembered the plan, I could either do a bad job of acting, which would lead to Klaus not sending his hybrids away. Or I could've changed my mind about the plan, and not gone through with it at all. If I didn't remember the plan, then my performance was perfectly convincing, and there was no sabotaging it this time, because I didn't even remember what was happening."

Stefan could see that the idea of the witches messing with her life once again was upsetting her, so he moved in to try comforting his friend.

"Don't touch me," she snapped.

Stefan stopped short, looking confused.

"You knew I didn't remember; or at the very least you suspected. I saw it on your face. But you cared more about getting your revenge on Klaus, than you did about me. You used my lapse of memory to get what you wanted. Well, congratulations, Stefan. You just alienated your last remaining friend."

Stefan stood there mentally kicking himself, as he watched Phoebe walk off into the night. He had messed up in a big way. He had gotten what he wanted from Klaus, but in doing so he'd lost the last and only true friend he had left.

* * *

Phoebe had to call Hayley to come pick her up, once she was far enough away from Stefan. She didn't want to talk about what had happened, just yet, which Hayley respected. When Phoebe was ready to tell her, she would.

Surprisingly, Damon wasn't waiting for her, when she got home. He never showed up that night, nor did he call Phoebe to ask if she was alright. Truthfully, he believed that it was all an act, just not in the way it was actually planned.

Where the plan was that they would make Klaus believe that Stefan would turn Phoebe, Stefan was never actually going to turn Phoebe into a vampire. But Damon thought otherwise. He believed that the two were prepared to actually turn Phoebe, since she was already planning to turn someday. And since their opinions differed on that, he decided to ignore her out of his usual petty anger.

Later that night, after the rest of the household had gone to bed, Phoebe found herself sitting on the porch swing. She was trying to drink some chamomile tea to calm her nerves so she could sleep, but there was no calming her thoughts.

"I was wondering when you'd show up." Phoebe turned to look at where Klaus was standing.

Klaus stepped out of the shadows. "How did you know I was there?"

"I felt a disturbance in the force," she joked. They shared a quiet laugh.

"I came to see if you were okay. The way you sounded on the phone…I'd have been here sooner, but I was busy dismissing my hybrids, before Stefan…" Klaus took a seat next to her on the swing, and looked at her earnestly. "Are you alright?"

Phoebe's eyes fell. Suddenly she felt ashamed for some reason. She considered telling him the lie she was supposed to tell him – that it was all real, and though she was still shaken, she was fine. But she couldn't bring herself to do that. And, in her defense, Klaus was far smarter than they had ever given him credit for.

"It was all an act," she told him. "Stefan wanted you to get rid of your hybrids, so we came up with the idea this morning to scare you into sending them away. We were hoping that, if you really thought you were about to lose your only means of making hybrids, that you'd do what Stefan wanted."

Klaus made a face that said he didn't like her referring to herself in such a manner, or that she felt he only thought of her in that way. "Do you really think that low of me? That I only see you as some sort of tool to make my hybrids?"

Phoebe instinctively gave him an apologetic look. Then she realized, "You don't seem surprised. That it was all an act, I mean."

"That's because I'm not," he admitted, relaxing a little. "As hard as Stefan was pushing for me to send them away, I knew he'd try something drastic to force my hand, eventually. And you being the only leverage he has over me, I knew he'd involve you somehow."

Phoebe narrowed her eyes curiously. "You knew he wouldn't hurt me."

Klaus smiled at her in response.

"Then why did you send your hybrids away?" she questioned. "Why come here and ask if I'm okay?"

"I came here, because, even though I knew he wouldn't kill you, he still might be determined enough to turn you into a vampire. You technically wouldn't be dead, but then I also wouldn't be able to utilize your blood to create anymore hybrids. And judging from your tone tonight, you sounded genuinely concerned for your fate," he explained. "As for sending away my hybrids…they were of no use to me here. They were just as sired to you as they were to me."

Phoebe looked at Klaus in surprise.

"What?"

"Nothing, I'm just surprised that you would admit that. Aren't you afraid that I might use that sirebond to make them rise up against you?" she teased.

Klaus laughed. "Not at all. Because, you see, they're sired to both of us, which means they won't do anything to harm either one of us. I can't force them to harm you anymore than you can force them to harm me."

Phoebe snapped her fingers in a "darn it" motion.

"How was your friend's party?"

"Less of a party, and more of a wake." Klaus gave her a funny look. "She didn't feel like celebrating her birth, so we said goodbye to the old Caroline that died when she became a vampire."

Klaus made a face of understanding, and smiled. "I love birthdays."

"Do you even celebrate birthdays anymore?" Phoebe asked. "I mean, doesn't it get tiring after so many decades of not aging every year?"

His smile spread to show his dimples. "Well, you have to adjust your perception of time, when you become a vampire, Phoebe. Celebrate the fact that you're no longer bound by trivial human conventions. You're free."

"I'm not. I never have been. I was made for one purpose, and I won't even fulfill that." Phoebe looked down at her tea. "I think even if I became a vampire, I'd be weighed down by something or other. So what would be the point?"

"Do you truly believe your existence has no meaning?" Klaus looked surprised to be hearing such pessimistic words coming from Phoebe.

"Other than to kill you? No. So why try to find another one?"

"You sound as though you've given up."

"I did. Recently. And I'd be lying if I said I wasn't tempted to give up again. Everything would be so much easier," she admitted.

"I've thought about it once or twice over the centuries, truth be told. But I'll let you in on a little secret." Klaus leaned in close, his eyes intense. "There's a whole world out there waiting for you, great cities, and art, and music…genuine beauty. And you can have all of it. I would love to show it to you. All you have to do is ask."

Phoebe stared into his eyes, barely noticing that they were getting closer, until…

Klaus pressed his lips gently to Phoebe's in a sweet way that Phoebe never would have guessed possible from him. She did nothing to encourage him further, nor did she try pushing him away. In all honesty, this was a new thing for her. Phoebe wasn't the girl that had boys fawning all over her, eager to kiss her. So when one decided to make a move and just go for it, she had no preprogrammed automatic response.

The part of her that was attracted to him wanted more. But the part of her that knew this was not fair to Damon screamed out even louder. Klaus kissing her was one thing; but if she let it continue, or worse, encouraged more, then she would be in the wrong.

Klaus pulled away, before Phoebe had to embarrass him by doing it herself. "You should try to get some sleep. You've had quite the day," he told her.

Phoebe nodded silently. The two maintained eye contact, as Klaus rose to his feet.

"Sweet dreams, Phoebe," was all that he said, before flitting away.

* * *

"You're both gonna have to let me go, eventually," said Jeremy.

It was the next morning, now. The morning of Jeremy's departure from Mystic Falls. Jenna and Rick were going to be taking him to the airport, so they were waiting to get in their farewells then. But for right now, both Phoebe and Elena were clinging to their little brother for dear life. They were going to miss him.

Elena pulled away first. "Be safe, okay?"

"Yes, mom," Jeremy teased.

Phoebe gave one last squeeze, then released her brother. "Call us when you land, okay?"

"Yeah, okay. Jenna and Rick are waiting."

The twins stood there and watched as their brother got into the car and rode off. Phoebe put an arm around her twin. They both knew this was good for Jeremy. That this was going to keep him safe. But it didn't mean they weren't going to miss him every day.

* * *

Meanwhile, somewhere in the woods, Sheriff Forbes takes Damon to see a crime scene.

"A hiker called it in," she told him. "My guys got here first."

"Another hybrid?" Damon guessed.

"That's what I thought at first." They looked down at the body. It was no hybrid. "Brian Walters, the Medical Examiner."

"What's up with the stake? He's not a vampire," Damon questioned.

"I know." Liz looked at Damon uneasily. "This was a murder."


	56. Bringing Out the Dead

Chapter 56: Bringing Out the Dead

_"_ _October 15, 2010._

_So this is one of those areas where things are still a bit fuzzy. Maybe it's just not important enough for me to remember. Or maybe it's just one of those more permanently fried sections of my memory that I'll never get back, no matter how many of these stupid potions I drink._

_Anyway, on with the facts. So we were all obviously missing Jeremy at this point, but you wanna know about the less obvious things. It was around this time that Bonnie started having dreams about her mom and the coffins. She didn't say anything to anyone just yet, because, in the traditional Bonnie fashion, she chose to ignore them and hope they were just dreams._

_Tyler tried coming to me for help with his sirebond to Klaus. He wanted me to use my sirebond over him to make him not have to listen to Klaus, should he ever ask him to hurt Caroline or something. I mean, Caroline is my friend, so that wouldn't really work; but what about his mom or someone else in town? Someone we don't know? He didn't want to be used the way the other hybrids were being used. The way Stefan had been used all summer._

_I wanted to help him, I really did. But given that he was bound to both of us, it wouldn't work for me to simply order him to never do what Klaus said. It wouldn't even work for me to say 'never hurt anyone you care about'. That's like one parent telling you that you don't have to listen to the other parent. It's a lie. You still have to do what they say, even if it contradicts what parent 1 said._

_And then there was Damon. I had gone over to the Boarding House to spend some time with Rebekah, and I ran into him on my way out. I remember he tried to give me a kiss, but I pulled away. He asked me what was wrong, and I'm pretty sure the rest of the conversation went something like this:_

_"_ _I can't do this anymore," I told him._

_"_ _Do what?" he asked me. He looked so confused._

_"_ _This. You and me," I answered. "It's not…it's not healthy, Damon."_

_"_ _What are you talking about?"_

_"_ _I'm talking about how you go from being so mad at me, that you don't even talk to me, one minute; to trying to kiss me, like nothing ever happened, the next," I explained. "This is the first time you've spoken to me in days."_

_His face contorted with a mixture of emotions. "Where is this coming from? What's changed?"_

_"_ _Nothing's changed, Damon. That's the problem," I told him. "The other night, your brother threatened to drive me off a bridge, and you never once asked me if I was okay. No calls, no texts, no dropping by to check on me. Nothing."_

_"_ _Because it was all an act. You and Stefan planned the whole thing. Why do I need to check on you, if you were never in any real danger?" he questioned._

_I remember thinking that I hadn't known I wasn't in danger. That, in the moment, I honestly believed my friend had lost it and was actually willing to turn me into a vampire, if it meant pissing off Klaus. But that's not what I said. In my anger and frustration, I told him, "That didn't stop Klaus from stopping by to check on me."_

_I half expected Damon to get jealous at that. But it seems his jealousy was reserved for Elijah and Stefan. The two he didn't have to worry about._

_"_ _Of course he did," he laughed dryly. "He had to make sure his human blood bag was safe."_

_"_ _So what does that say about you? The town villain will check in on his walking blood bag, that he already knew was safe; but you won't check on your own girlfriend, whom you claim to love?"_

_Damon was silent. But his expression said he hadn't appreciated my remark. I told him one last time that I couldn't be in this relationship anymore, and then I left. That was the end of me and Damon. Not much there to read about, I know, but that's how I prefer it. I don't really want to remember anything more than that._

_"_ _October 20, 2010._

_Bonnie and I seemed to have made up for our fight at Caroline's birthday/funeral. She came over asking for mine and Elena's help in tracking down her mother, and she apologized for being so judgey. I figured that if she could be big enough to apologize to us, I could at least apologize to her for the things I said; even if she was only doing it to gain my help, and I honestly didn't regret what I had said._

_Damon being, well, Damon, saw this as an opportunity to get me back. He used compulsion and connections to speed up the process of finding Bonnie's mother. Jenna tried telling him that suddenly doing something nice wasn't going to make me change my mind and tale him back. She was right._

_Anyway, Bonnie and Elena took off to meet Bonnie's mom, while Damon found a new obsession. He decided to help Sheriff Forbes with her murder investigation, which, as I was told, resulted in him getting blood jacked by a Dr. Meredith Fell. Someone confronted her on it, later that day – I don't remember who. But apparently she uses the vampire blood to heal her more hopeless patients. In this instance, it was Bill Forbes. An accident I take full responsibility for._

_I had suggested to Tyler that he ask Bill for help with breaking the sirebond. I figured a man who could learn to resist compulsion, could also find a way to fight a sirebond. To be honest, I should have been able to figure it out myself. But with the attacks on my memory and the mental slowing I've begun experiencing – it took me longer than it should have to even think of suggesting Tyler call Bill – I'm lucky I was able to pull off my latest idea._

_I've grown sick and tired of this game Stefan and Klaus are playing. And it's mostly Stefan! He stole Klaus' coffins. He keeps antagonizing him. He keeps dragging this whole thing out, and I just need it to be done. I know it's selfish, but…I'm dying. I need to become a vampire, if I'm going to have a chance. And once I transition, I'm going to need help learning to control myself. How is anyone going to be able to help me with that, if they're all too busy creating drama?_

_So I had the idea to try and negotiate for peace. Get all the major players together, and talk. The only problem is I needed help. I had Hayley and Rebekah to help me take back the coffins from Stefan – most of them, anyways. After our fight on the bridge, Stefan had the locked one moved, just in case._

_Rebekah wanted to wake all of her brothers, but I begged her to trust me. If I undaggered just Elijah, he could help us negotiate a peace. Finn and Kol walking around would make everyone even more nervous, and that wouldn't help at all. But I was sure that, once everything was settled, Elijah would side with her about waking the other two."_

* * *

When Elijah woke, he'd expected to see Phoebe's brown eyes staring back at him; but the only thing he saw was the inside of his coffin. He listened for the sound of her deceptively gentle voice, but it too was nowhere to be found. He felt a brief moment of disappointment, before recognizing one the voices as his brother Niklaus.

Elijah made quite the dramatic entrance. He tore out the hybrid minion's heart, and greeted his brother bitterly. He guessed from the surprised look on Klaus' face that he hadn't woken him, either. Then who had?

After exchanging a few well-deserved blows, and learning that their father was dead, the brothers agreed to have a civilized chat. It was as the two were talking that Elijah noticed the bracelet around his wrist. It was the one he had given to Phoebe when her father died. He grinned to himself, tuning out whatever his brother was going on about. So she had been the one to wake him. But why hand him over to Klaus? What had she hoped to gain? He made a mental note to call her in the morning and find out.

* * *

By the time Rick and Elena had returned from their run the next morning, Phoebe and Hayley were gone. So it was a good while later, when they heard about Sheriff Forbes dropping by to inform Elena that hers was the **_only_** print lifted from the stake that killed the Medical Examiner. She didn't believe Elena killed him, of course. But still felt she should inform them of the finding.

Rick called Damon to bring over the stash of vampire-hunting weapons from the Boarding House, so they could take inventory of everything; because not only was Elena's print on the stake, but the stake was from the set she and Stefan had found at her parents' lake house. That meant someone was trying very hard to frame them. The question was why?

* * *

Hayley stood off to the side, under the shade of the trees, so Phoebe and Elijah could have some semblance of privacy. Not that they needed much – the two had been locked in a stare, as though communicating telepathically, for the past several minutes.

"Nice haircut," Phoebe finally said.

Elijah reached out and tucked her hair behind her ear. "I could say the same to you."

Phoebe felt her cheeks flush, but she didn't shy away from his intense gaze.

Elijah smirked to himself, and pulled out Phoebe's bracelet. "I got your message." He returned it to her wrist. It felt good to have it back. She'd felt so naked without it.

"I'm sorry it took so long for me to wake you…And I'm sorry that I do it now whenever I need something from you."

He eyed her curiously, waiting in silence for her to explain.

Phoebe told him the same things she had told the others, leaving out all the same details. She told him everyone's plan to kill Klaus in the hopes that it would cure Phoebe somehow, and how she didn't believe it would. How she planned to become a vampire for the chance to live. But she left out just how little time she had left, and even that she had planned to ask him to sire her.

It wasn't that she was afraid to tell him these things, or that she had any fear of rejection. It was that, now that she was face-to-face with him, asking him to be her sire seemed a little…intimate. And that thought made her feel uncomfortable.

As for how much time she actually had left, she lied because she was afraid of what he might do to give her what she wanted. She feared he might go overboard trying to make the world perfect, just for her, no matter how short a time it lasted. She could sense that about him, from the time they had spent together in the past. And she was right. If he had known then just how bad things were for Phoebe, Elijah would have moved heaven and earth to make the world right for her., however temporary.

After they made their plans for negotiating for peace and waking his other brothers, Elijah gave Phoebe his word that he would do everything he could to ensure peace from his family.

"There's just one other thing," said Phoebe. "I know there will be some blows exchanged, once they're awake. After what Klaus did to them, it's only natural that they're all going to want revenge. And I can appreciate and respect that this is a family matter."

"Why do I sense a 'but' coming?" Elijah teased.

" ** _But_** …I don't want anyone outright torturing him. I've grown to like your brother, and I know he can't die, but…"

Elijah felt a sensation he hadn't experienced in several decades: the bitter sting of jealousy. Had the girl he liked fallen for his brother, while he was sleeping? He repressed the feeling, and responded, "I give you my word. No torturing of Niklaus will be had."

* * *

While Phoebe and Elijah had their secret meeting, Stefan took Bonnie and her mom to the vampire-proof cave, where he had hidden the locked coffin. He left them to settle in, only to be accosted by Elena on his way out. She asked him if he killed the M.E. the night of the fundraiser. It stung to know that she had to ask him, rather than know in her gut that he wouldn't do that. But here she was, asking if he had murdered an innocent human. How time had changed.

* * *

"Hayley, really. I don't need to ask them for magical assistance with this," Phoebe protested, yet again, stepping out of the car.

Hayley exited the driver's side of the car. "Yes, you do."

"It's just a little absent-mindedness," Phoebe argued.

Hayley gave her a look. "Phoebe, you're not just forgetting to do an assignment for school, or spacing out in class because you're bored. You're forgetting important plans. You're struggling to focus on the simplest of things. Even you said this had to be the work of the witches."

Phoebe sighed. "I know, I know. I just hate asking them for magical assistance all the time. Damon brought me here to get a dress for the Miss Mystic Falls Pageant, and it seems like I'm back every few months asking them for help with something."

"If they didn't wanna help you, they'd say so." Hayley put an arm around her friend. "But if they turn you down for this, I'll kill them."

Phoebe gave her a disapproving smirk.

"Alright, fine. I'll just provide some…incentive."

"Now you sound like Damon."

"Ouch."

The two girls stepped inside of A to Z Tailoring. The bell above the door jingled, alerting the shop's merchants of their arrival.

"Phoebe!" Agnes beamed. "So good to see you, again."

Phoebe smiled nervously. "You, too. I just wish it were under better circumstances."

"What's wrong?" asked Zoie. "Are those herbal remedies not working for you anymore?"

Hayley looked over at Phoebe. "Not exactly."

* * *

After Elena finished her brief chat with Stefan, she and Caroline went to the hospital to check her father out. However, when they arrived, Dr. Fell informed them that Mr. Forbes had signed himself out the previous night, after constant complaints about being healed with vampire blood.

The two girls found this odd, but made their way out to find him and ask why he hadn't informed his daughter. That was when they found him laying in a supply closet…dead. He'd been stabbed to death with a hunting knife, while vampire blood was still in his system. He was going to wake up in transition soon.

* * *

It took a little time, but Agnes and Zoie were able to cook up something to help Phoebe with her memory problems. They handed her seven vials, both of their faces unnaturally grim.

"These should help with the mental slowing, and help stimulate any parts of your memory that you're having trouble accessing," Agnes explained.

Phoebe accepted the vials, and awaited the assumed oncoming request to no longer ask them for magical help. But it didn't come. "Thank you," said Phoebe. "And I promise I won't come asking for your help again. I know you must be tired of me always coming to you when I need help on a magical level."

"Oh, no, not at all," Agnes disagreed. "We've never minded helping you."

"You've never asked us to do anything that would put us in danger; and even if you did, and we told you 'no', you'd accept that as an answer," Zoie chimed in. "As long as you stay that way, we have no problem helping you with whatever you need."

"Then why the faces?" Hayley asked. "Is it because you don't have enough to make more potions? Because Phoebe will go through these in a few days."

"No. She won't." Zoie's tone was unusually serious.

"These potions are exceptionally powerful," Agnes explained. "Most people can't even take more than two or three. But, being of a genius intellect, Phoebe's mind can handle it. Still, even though her mind can handle that amount, she won't be able to take anymore than what we've given her."

"Why's that?"

"Because the seventh one will kill her," answered Zoie.

Both Phoebe and Hayley were taken aback. But they remained quiet for further explanation.

"When one takes the potion, it stimulates all parts of the brain. It feels very similar to electroshock therapy…" Agnes hesitated to add the last bit. "…on maximum voltage."

"I'm sorry, what?" Hayley asked in disbelief.

"When the potion wears off," Agnes continued. "it will burn out a new section of Phoebe's brain."

"She'll lose more memories," Zoie explained. "It's the price for super stimulating her brain for a time."

"You'll have some pretty awful vertigo, followed by what will feel like the world's worst migraine," Agnes went on. "On the final potion, Phoebe's brain will burn out entirely, and she will die."

"Then why give her the final potion?" Hayley questioned. "Why give her the one that's going to kill her?"

"So when I wake up in transition, I can have all my memories," Phoebe explained. "The last potion will recover all of my memories, before short-circuiting my brain and killing me. Right?"

Agnes and Zoie nodded.

It wasn't going to be pleasant – it was pretty far from it. But then again, Miss Sheila always said that magic comes with a price. And as painful as it was likely to be, at least Phoebe now knew how she was going to die. She just needed to decide on when, and by whom she was to be sired.

* * *

Phoebe sat Indian-style on Stefan's bed, applying her makeup. This was where she was waiting for him, when he got out of the shower. "Get dressed," she ordered. "You, me, and Hayley are going to dinner."

"Yeah, sorry, not interested," he replied casually.

"I didn't ask," she replied equally as casual. "Elijah and I scheduled a little sit down with us and Klaus to negotiate a truce."

Stefan walked over to the bed, as he buttoned up his shirt. "Klaus won't make a deal."

Phoebe stood up and stared him down. "You don't know that. He might."

"Why, because you undaggered Elijah? He screwed us over the last time we trusted him," Stefan reminded her.

"He did not. I told him to spare his brother," Phoebe argued.

Stefan inched closer. "Oh yeah? And how has that worked out for you?"

Phoebe resisted the urge to slap him. "Cut the 'no humanity' bull. I know your emotions are back on. I also know that you owe me. So you're gonna go to this dinner and you're gonna play nice, and we are not leaving until we've come up with an arrangement that allows me to finally do what I need to do to survive. It's time for me to be selfish for once."

Phoebe snatched up her makeup and headed back to her room.

Damon, who had been eavesdropping, appeared to his brother and advised that they both go. This would be the perfect chance to keep Klaus distracted, while Bonnie and her mother work on opening the locked coffin. They'll just let Phoebe think they're going with an genuinely open mind, out to make peace.

* * *

After helping Caroline get her dad from the hospital full of blood back to her house, Elena returned home with the knife that had murdered him. It was from their collection. But how did someone get it? And who would want to frame them? And why?

Jenna volunteers to get the knife over to the police, since it is evidence in Bill Forbes' murder. Elena leaves again to be there for Caroline during such a life-changing time, while Rick remains at home to continue doing inventory.

* * *

Both Phoebe and Hayley found it suspicious that Damon was volunteering to join their dinner, but neither thought too hard on it. Even after taking one of the memory potions from Agnes and Zoie, Phoebe just assumed it had something to do with his jealousy of the other three men. That and/or he saw this as a way to win her back. And though it was bad etiquette, they were able to inform Elijah of the plus one to the evening.

The girls rode over in the same car as the boys to ensure they actually went. It was a quiet drive, but Phoebe was thankful for it. She was feeling nervous about tonight. Those feelings intensified, when Elijah answered the door and flashed his signature smile at her.

"Niklaus! Our guests have arrived," he announced, gesturing for them to enter.

Stefan and Damon removed their own coats, as did Hayley. But, as a proper gentleman, Elijah removed Phoebe's for her. Damon's jealousy flared.

"Ah! Welcome," Klaus greeted. "Would anyone care for a tour?"

"I didn't come here to eat or take tours of your extravagant home, Klaus," Stefan grumbled.

"Well, that doesn't seem very nice. Phoebe put a lot of work into this house," Klaus reminded him. "But we can either sit and eat, like civilized men and women, or I can reach down your throats and pull out your insides. The choice is yours."

"It's better to indulge him," Elijah cautioned, guiding Phoebe and Hayley towards the dinner table. Elijah pulled out a chair for Phoebe, then took the seat to her left.

Hayley sat directly opposite her. Phoebe didn't understand why she didn't sit next to her at first, but then she realized she was trying to help create a gap between the sets of brothers. Because to Elijah's left was Klaus, then Hayley, then Damon, then Stefan, and then back to Phoebe. The girls being the breakers between the original brothers and the Salvatore brothers.

As everyone settles in for their meal, Hayley can't help but laugh on the inside. Here they are, sitting at a meal together. Phoebe and the four men who desire her. Were she not in denial about at least two of them, she'd surely realize just how amusingly awkward this was.

"Isn't this nice? The six of us dining together?" Klaus commented.

Hayley laughed inside once again.

Klaus looked to Phoebe. "Is this what you had in mind when you pulled the dagger out of my brother?"

Phoebe kept her eye on her food, her face neutral. "Actually, I pictured he and I running away together. Maybe India. I've always wanted to go to India. And France is just so overdone. Maybe get married eventually, have a couple of kids, settle down with a white picket fence…"

Elijah pretended to wipe his mouth in order to hide the amused smile on his face behind his napkin. This didn't escape Phoebe's notice. Nor did Hayley trying to hide her laughter as a cough into hers.

Phoebe rolled her eyes at Hayley.

Klaus appeared to be somewhat amused by her response, but Damon's smile was obviously forced. And then there was Stefan.

"You know, I have to say I'm surprised to see you still here," he remarked to Elijah. "After what your brother did to you, I'd have thought you'd want revenge. Then again, you've said you wanted Phoebe to kill him for you before, and then when it came down to it, you saved him."

"Well, Elijah and I have had our share of quarrels over the centuries, but we always make it through," Klaus replied.

"Kind of like you and Rebekah, right?" Stefan taunted. Klaus shot him a nasty look. "Why isn't she here for this peace talk dinner? Last I checked you two still hadn't made up for what you'd done."

"If you're referring to the fact that Rebekah knows I killed our mother, I've already come clean to Elijah," said Klaus.

Hayley saw how annoyed Phoebe was getting with Stefan, and chimed in. "Might wanna dial back that judgment there. I mean, you did kill your own dad."

"We're here to make a deal, Hayley. Doesn't mean I have to kiss his ass for seven courses," said Stefan.

"She's right," Damon agreed. "We have a long evening ahead of us. Pace yourself."

* * *

Meanwhile at Caroline's, Mr. Forbes has decided not to go through with his transition and Caroline is devastated. Elena does her best to comfort her friend, but there's only so much she can do. They talk of all the things that are going to be difficult to experience in life without your father, and how Elena came to accept these difficulties and move on when she lost her dad.

Tyler finally shows up with Matt, and Elena excuses herself to call Phoebe – she may be busy, but she and Caroline are friends now and she'd wanna be here for her. Caroline won't let her call Phoebe. She blames Phoebe for all of this happening. It was Phoebe's idea to have Tyler call her dad, because she couldn't be bothered to help Tyler herself. If it wasn't for Phoebe, her dad wouldn't be dying.

* * *

"Stefan," Elijah began. "Where is the lovely Elena, tonight?"

Stefan shrugged nonchalantly. "I wouldn't know."

Klaus gave a light laugh.

Elijah looked to his brother in confusion. What was he missing?

"It's a long story," said Phoebe. "But, in short, they broke up."

"My apologies," said Elijah to Stefan.

"Oh, something tells me he'll get on just fine," Klaus remarked, grinning at Phoebe. She rolled her eyes at his implication. "It's fascinating, really. The allure of the Patrova doppelganger, and that of the Anomaly who shares their face, is still so strong."

Everyone at the table shifted around uncomfortably.

"What do you say, brother? Shall we tell them about Tatia?" Klaus asked.

Elijah became more uncomfortable than Phoebe had ever seen him. "Now, why should we discuss matters long since resolved?"

It wasn't that he was embarrassed, or ashamed, or even feared that Phoebe might have a lesser opinion of him for discovering that he and his brother loved the same woman once – Stefan and Damon both loved Katherine. He simply wished to let the topic die out of respect for Phoebe and her feelings, whatever they were.

"Well, given their shared affection for both Phoebe and Katerina, I think our guests might be curious to learn about the originator of the Patrova line," Klaus pressed.

Damon saw this as an opportunity to spoil Phoebe's feeling for Elijah, so he eager agreed. "Yes, please. Do tell."

Elijah glanced at Phoebe for confirmation one way or the other. She wanted to say she didn't want to hear it, but her own curiosity was stronger than the emotions she was suppressing for Elijah.

Not hearing any objections, Elijah told the story of Tatia. He spoke of the shared affection both he and Klaus had for her. How Tatia would not choose between them, and so their mother killed her, and used her blood to turn them into vampires.

Despite Phoebe's calm demeanor, her insecurities are beginning to scream at her on the inside. Every man she's ever cared for has loved another with her face, before her. Whether it be her twin or her twin's doppelganger. She's never the first one with that face to make her way into their heart.

 _"And I never will be,"_ Phoebe thought to herself. She excused herself from the table, closely followed by Hayley.

* * *

Jenna returned home the same time Elena did – she'd done what she could for Caroline. Jenna checks to make sure Elena is okay, knowing that this must all be bringing up some bad memories of when she lost her dad. Elena's more concerned with how Phoebe is going to feel when she hears Caroline blames her for her dad's death.

When they get inside the house, the smell of blood hits Jenna's nose like a brick wall. She flits upstairs to where Rick lies dying. He's been stabbed in much the same way that Mr. Forbes had been stabbed. Instinctively, Jenna removes the knife still in Rick's abdomen, and feeds him her blood – they don't know if the person behind this is supernatural or not, so Rick's ring may not work if he dies.

* * *

In a traditional old-school male fashion, then men began negotiating, now that the women weren't in the room. It wasn't so much that they didn't want to negotiate with women, and had more to do with the fact that when Phoebe was in the room, they were all competing for her attention. When Phoebe was around, they were all trying to sabotage one another in her eyes, so they stood a better chance with her.

To buy more time for Bonnie, Damon proposed that Klaus and his siblings leave town, and not come back within Phoebe's lifetime, leaving out how short or long that might be. Klaus countered with letting Phoebe live out her human life, get married, have a few kids, etc. And each new generation would bring a new Anomaly that he could use to sire hybrids.

Stefan laughs to himself, as he approaches Klaus. Even if Phoebe weren't dying, even if she didn't want to become a vampire, she could never continue a line of Anomalies. Phoebe could never have children, because their mother robbed her of that choice years ago. And Stefan was the only one there that knew this.

Stefan extended his hand as if to shake Klaus'. "It's never gonna happen, Klaus."

Klaus knocked him to the ground, and held Stefan's hand into the fireplace. Damon tried to come to his aid, but Elijah stopped him.

Phoebe returned, sending Klaus flying back and away from Stefan. She gave Elijah a simple look, and he released Damon. "I leave you boys alone for five minutes, and you're at each other's throats? You're supposed to be negotiating peace!"

No one said anything.

"I needed one thing from you all. One thing!" Phoebe scolded. "And you can't even give me that."

Still no one spoke up. But even Elijah avoided her gaze.

"You know, I think I'll pass on desert." She and Hayley headed for the door. "Give Kol and Finn my best."

Klaus' eyes widened. "What is she talking about?"

"Long time, brother," Kol greeted, entering the room.

"Kol…"

Klaus tried to run, but Finn stopped him. When tried to get away from Finn, Rebekah appeared - as planned, she has snuck in to undagger her brothers during dinner. Everywhere he turned, his siblings were waiting.

Elijah gave the Salvatore brothers leave to go – this was family business.

* * *

Stefan and Damon walked in silence to the caves. When they arrived at the 'no vampires allowed' area, they found good news and bad news. Good news was Bonnie and her mom had opened the coffin. The bad news was, whatever had been inside, was now gone. And both witches were knocked out cold.

* * *

Klaus' siblings, including Elijah, all agree that they're going to leave him. After everything he's done to them, they don't want to be around him. Rebekah only stayed to get her brothers back, and now that they're safely undaggered, she doesn't need to remain in Mystic Falls.

Elijah, though he didn't voice it, would be staying, if only to keep his promise to Phoebe – that he would make sure there was a peace between his brother and Stefan. But for now, if the others believed he were leaving too, then they would not feel compelled to stay.

They were all just on their way out, when the last person they expected came walking through the door: their mother. Through their shock, they all expected she would kill Klaus for killing her and tormenting them and so many others. But instead, she forgave him. She forgave him for everything, and declared that she wanted them all to be a family again.

No one was going anywhere…

* * *

_"October 21, 2010._

_Caroline was forced to say goodbye to her dad today. She sat with him, as he died. Everyone keeps talking about how hard that must've been for her, but I would have preferred it. When I lost Uncle Grayson, it was sudden. No one was expecting, so there were no chances for anyone to say goodbye. When John died…he knew it was coming, so he had time to write letters to me and Elena, but I never got to say goodbye to him. To have the time Caroline just had with her father, to have the chance to sit with him and say goodbye and cry with him, I would kill to have that chance. So I, personally, think she was lucky._

_When she finally left her dad's side and came out of her room, I waiting in her living room with her mom and Tyler. Elena had told me what had happened, including that Caroline blamed me. And still, there I was. Ready to comfort my friend, or take her verbal assaulting, whichever she needed._

_It shocked all of us when Caroline marched right up to me and hugged me. We all half-expected her to throw a punch or something. But instead, she apologized for blaming me. She was just really upset and looking for someone to blame. And since they don't know who actually killed him, I was the next best option next to Tyler._

_Speaking of Tyler, he decided to leave town, after that. He hated to leave Caroline at such an emotional time; but he needed to break his sirebond to Klaus, and he couldn't do that from the Lockwood cellar. He was too strong, now. He could easily escape and hurt someone else. He felt it was best for him to leave, so he did. I just hope Caroline gets through this okay. It'll be hard, believe me, I know. But I also know it is possible. It is doable."_


	57. Dangerous Liaisons

Chapter 57: Dangerous Liaisons

"It was their mother, Esther, that was sealed in that coffin," said Phoebe.

"As in the Original Witch?" Stefan questioned.

Phoebe nodded. It was now the next morning, and though she was still angry with the two of them, she'd invited both the Salvatore brothers over to tell them what Elijah had dropped by to tell her last night.

"What?" Elena said in surprise.

"How is she even alive? I thought her hybrid freak show of a son ripped her heart out a thousand years ago," said Damon.

"I don't know. She probably has a couple of connections in the witching community." Phoebe waved a hand dismissively. " Elijah said that she wants to live in peace with her family, including Klaus."

"She was supposed to be the weapon to help us kill Klaus." Elena complained.

"I'd say I'm sorry, but…I'm not," Phoebe remarked.

Stefan gave her a look. "That coffin was the only thing stopping Klaus from tearing us to shreds."

"Anyone else feeling a little used, right now?" Damon asked rhetorically.

"Look, Elijah promised me that his family wouldn't hurt any of us, and I believe him."

Damon made a face. "Of course you do."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Phoebe asked.

"I think you know what it means," he replied. "It means the torch your carrying for the guy is so big, it's blinding you to the obvious."

"Which is...?"

"Which is they can't be trusted. No one in that family can."

"Elijah can," Phoebe argued.

"See what I mean? Blinded."

The doorbell rang.

The two sat there staring one another down, until Elena stood up to answer the door. There was no one there, when she opened the door. But there were four envelopes, each addressed to the women of the house – Jenna, Hayley, Phoebe, and Elena.

"What is it?" Phoebe asked.

Elena shrugged, opening the one with her name. "It's an invitation."

She read the invitation aloud, while Phoebe opened hers. It said the same thing.

"Who the hell are the Mikaelsons?" Stefan asked.

Phoebe thought for a moment, before realizing. "The Original Family."

"It's not bad enough that they're moving into town, now they want a house warming gift?" Damon complained.

"Well, you wanted proof that Elijah wasn't lying." Phoebe held up her invitation. "This is the perfect opportunity for us to see."

"Correction: **_me_** , not **_you_** ," said Damon.

"Excuse me?"

"She already tried to kill you, multiple times," he reminded her. "You're not going to put yourself in prime position to let her finish the job. And Stefan's already pissed off enough Originals to last a lifetime. So I'll go."

"Damon-," Phoebe began to argue.

Damon cut her off. "End of discussion."

Phoebe stood there, mouth agape as Damon made his way past her, and out of the house. Stefan wasn't far behind.

If that was how he wanted to play it, then fine. Phoebe knew she didn't have to listen to him, she never did. If she wanted to go to that ball, then she was going to go. Whether Damon liked it or not.

Elena flipped her invitation over, and discovered a message from Esther. _"Elena, I think it's time we finally meet. Esther."_

Even though Jenna declined the invitation to go to the Ball, she still brought the twins and Hayley out to get gowns for the evening. Strangely enough, when they were on their way out the door, they found a large box on their doorstep. It was addressed to Phoebe, with a note, "Save me a dance, fondly, Klaus."

The girls all followed Phoebe back into the kitchen to watch her open it. They were all curious to know what was inside. On top were a pair of shoes, that only had two of the four girls in awe.

Jenna held up one of the shoes. "Oh, my God, these are Jimmy Choos."

Phoebe and Hayley looked at her blankly.

"Nevermind. Go on," she said, hugging the shoe.

Phoebe turned back to the box's contents and lifted a royal blue gown out of it. It had a v-neck, but with a small piece of material on the inside that prevented exposing too much cleavage. The top half was covered in elegant beadwork, while the bottom half held a chiffon overlay. The back went down a ways, but it seemed to lace up high enough to have covered Phoebe's scars.

Phoebe found herself smiling.

"Well, it looks like we've got one less dress to find for tonight," Hayley remarked.

Phoebe's heart raced, as she, Hayley, and Elena stepped into the Mikaelson Mansion. Elena was nervous, too; but that had more to do with her secret intentions to meet with Esther, behind her sister's back. She split from the group first.

"I feel ridiculous in this thing," Hayley complained.

Phoebe laughed at her lightly. "You look amazing, Hayley."

Hayley's gown started as black at the bust, then ombred into various patterns of yellows, purples, and blood oranges as it went down from the waist. It was a very simple dress, which suited her personality, in Phoebe's opinion. Even her hair was only slightly pinned back on one side, and her make up very simple.

"I don't do balls," Hayley persisted. "I don't do dresses and elegant parties."

"Well, you do tonight." Phoebe gestured to the fancy party going on before them. "Welcome to lifestyle of the rich and fabulous."

Hayley gave her a look, but smirked. "I need a drink."

Phoebe watched her walk away to find some form of alcohol. She wasn't standing there alone for long, before she was being greeted by one of the new Mikaelson boys.

"We haven't formally met." He extended a hand, and smiled. "Kol Mikaelson."

Phoebe took his hand, and shook it. "Phoebe Gilbert."

"So you're the Anomaly. The weapon mother created to destroy Niklaus." Kol's eyes studied her with fascination, as though trying to decide what to make of her.

"No, you must be thinking of the other Anomaly," said Damon, appearing beside Phoebe. He extended a hand to Kol. "Damon Salvatore. Have we met?"

"I've met a lot of people. And you don't particularly stand out." Kol shot Phoebe one last smile, before excusing himself from their presence.

Phoebe turned to face her ex in mild annoyance. "Hello, Damon. Fancy seeing you here."

"Was I not clear this morning?" he asked her.

"I was invited, Damon."

"You have to tell me, before you walk into a lion's den!" he exclaimed in a hushed whisper.

"Why, so you can stop me?"

"Uh, yes!"

Phoebe gave him a look.

Damon mentally kicked himself – he hadn't meant to let that slip out. He still meant what he said, but he hadn't meant to tell her that. He tried changing the topic. "Not that it isn't obvious, but you look stunning."

"Thank you. Now, if you'll excuse me." Phoebe left it at that, as she walked away.

Meanwhile, Finn introduces himself to Elena. He tells her that if she wishes to speak to his mother, she will have to do so alone.

Phoebe walked around, not entirely certain who or what she was looking for. The only thing she knew for certain was that she wanted to get away from Damon. But where she was unaware of what she was looking for, someone else was very much aware that he was looking for her.

As soon as he spotted her, he smiled to himself from ear to ear. But he didn't approach her. Instead, he called for the attention of everyone at the ball. "Uh, if everyone could gather, please? Welcome! Thank you for joining us." Elijah spotted Phoebe among the crowd, and he suppressed a smile. "You know, whenever my mother brings our family together like this, it's tradition to commence the evening with a dance."

Phoebe caught sight of Esther on the stairs with her children. She had to resist the urge to kill her right there. After all, they were here to determine if her desire for peace was genuine or not, and you couldn't do that if she were dead…again.

"Tonight's pick is a centuries-old waltz," Elijah went on. "So, if all of you could please find yourselves a partner...Please join us in the Ballroom." Elijah raced down the stairs to grab Phoebe before anyone else could.

"I'm glad you came," said Elijah, as the two danced. "You look beautiful."

Phoebe immediately felt herself turn into her old self, and turned away to hide a smile. It was a reflex she thought she had gotten over.

Trying to make her feel more comfortable, Elijah sought to change the topic. "Damon doesn't appear to be too happy, this evening."

"He's not happy that I came, especially when he told me not to," said Phoebe. Elijah looked at her curiously, silently asking for an explanation. "He thinks it's dangerous for me to be here, surrounded by so many Original vampires, and your mother. I know he's just trying to look out for me, but…it's still infuriating for him to continuously think he can dictate what I can and can't do."

"I think he needs to learn that you can look out for yourself."

Phoebe looked up at the ancient vampire, their faces alarmingly close. Her heart skipped a beat, without her permission, and her breathing staggered. She was momentarily relieved, when the time came for the trade-off. That was until she found herself dancing with Klaus, now.

While everyone else was busy either dancing the Waltz or watching it, Elena dragged Stefan outside to speak in private. She needed to get to Esther and talk to her alone, and she needed help to do it. If Phoebe saw her, she'd be immediately suspicious. Sure, she's here trying to determine whether or not Esther's desire for peace in genuine, but they can both admit Phoebe's already made up her mind when it comes to Esther.

"We need to distract her, somehow," said Elena.

"It shouldn't be too hard," said Stefan. "Between my brother picking fights with her, and Klaus and Elijah fawning all over her, all we have to do is wait."

"What about Hayley?" Elena asked. "If Hayley sees me going up there, she'll tell Phoebe."

"I can lure her away. Tie her up or something," he suggested.

Elena shook her head. "She'd run to Phoebe as soon as she got loose, and then she'll wanna know why we did that. The whole point is for Phoebe **_not_** to find out about this at all, not just give me time to actually meet with Esther."

Stefan sighed in frustration. "Then the only thing we can do is wait. Hayley has been watching Phoebe almost as closely as my brother, since she got here. We just have to wait for Phoebe to get distracted by one of her many suitors, and then for Hayley to check in on her."

Elena nodded. Then waiting was what they'd do.

Stefan and Elena only had to wait for the Waltz to finish. Once that was over, Klaus took Phoebe outside to talk alone. Hayley saw them stepping out together, smirked to herself, then walked away out of sight. Stefan signaled Elena, and she headed up the stairs to meet with Esther.

"I'm glad you like the dress," said Klaus. "I was hoping the back would be high enough to cover your scars."

Phoebe stopped and stared at him in surprise. She had never told him about her scars. "How did you…?"

"I saw them once, when you were working on the house," he told her. "I never asked about them, because I assumed you didn't want to discuss them, given all you went through to hide them."

Phoebe eyed him curiously.

"What?"

"Why are you always so kind to me?" she asked. "You're the Big Bad Wolf to everyone else, even your siblings, but to me…why?"

"I fancy you," he told her bluntly.

Once again, Phoebe stared back at him in surprise.

"Is that so hard to believe?"

"Kind of."

"Why? You're beautiful, y-you're strong, you're full of light…I enjoy you," he explained.

Phoebe didn't know what to say – she wasn't used to this kind of attention from men. From Damon, sure. She'd gotten used to Damon's affections, but receiving compliments from other men that weren't her friend or Damon? It wasn't something she knew how to respond to. Still, she found herself smiling at his flattery.

"Come on." Klaus held out a hand for her to take. "There's something I want to show you."

Elena was nervous to meet with the witch that had tried multiple times to kill her sister. She'd be lying if she said that no part of her held a grudge for that. But the bigger picture here was getting rid of Klaus, and that was something Esther could help them do.

Esther told her of her plan to link all of her children together as one during the champagne toast, so that all she had to do was kill one of them to kill them all. Elena was hesitant at first – not all of them deserved to die – but given the terror Klaus had brought into their lives, it seemed worth it. Not to mention the revenge that would be sought, once they learned that she helped kill their brother.

After taking some of Elena's blood, Esther warned Elena not to reveal any of this to Phoebe. She'd grown rather fond of her children, and though she was created to destroy them, she is now a powerful weapon intent on protecting them. If she finds out what they're planning, she will stop them. Elena agrees not to tell her sister.

"So…what did you want to show me?" Phoebe asked.

Klaus gestured to one of the paintings in front of them. "One of my passions – the one we share."

"Impressive. I take it the curators at the Louvre aren't on vervain?" she joked.

"Yeah, well, that's their mistake," he joked back. "Actually, one of my landscapes is hanging at the Hermitage, not that anyone would notice."

"I'd like to see that." Phoebe flipped through some of the other pieces he had laying round.

"I'll take you," Klaus replied, seriously. "Wherever you want to go. Rome. Paris. Tokyo." He got closer with every new city he named, and he was smiling deep enough to show his dimples.

Phoebe bit her bottom lip, smiling. "That's cheating."

"What is?"

"Using those." She reached up and touched one of his dimples. She tried to drop her hand after, but Klaus took it and pressed her palm to his cheek.

Phoebe raised her other hand to his face, too, and began pulling him closer. She would have kissed him, too, if it weren't for someone calling for Klaus to come out for the toast. Klaus told her to ignore it, but Phoebe insisted they go.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen," Esther greeted them. "Waiters are coming around with champagne. I invite you all to join me in raising a glass."

Everyone still at the party, including every one of her children, grabbed a glass of champagne.

"It provides me with no greater joy, than to see my family back together as one. I'd like to thank you all for being a part of this spectacular evening. Cheers!"

"Cheers!' they all called back. Everyone raised their glasses, and drank. Her plan had worked.

After the toast, Elijah reclaimed Phoebe's attention, by asking to speak with her in private.

"I understand you have a history with my mother," he began.

"You could say that. Why? Is something wrong?" she asked.

"Well, her ability to forgive my brother after everything he's done to destroy this family, strikes me as a little strange, to say the least." Elijah looked uncomfortable.

"You think it's an act?"

"It has me asking questions I never thought I would ask," he admitted. "I want your opinion, Phoebe – you're smart, you're observant, and I trust your judgment. Should I be concerned about my mother's intentions?"

Phoebe took a deep breath. "Okay, but bear in mind, my opinion is a little biased."

Elijah nodded.

"I think your mother created me to kill you, your brother, and all of your siblings. I think your mother cursed me to live a shortened lifespan, so that I was only here long enough to do that, before I die. I think she cursed me to be unable to continue a line of anomalies, because being able to create more abominations would just be too horrible. I think she wasn't very happy, when I let your brother leave town this past summer, and accelerated my condition to make me die faster. I think your mother is attacking my memories in the hopes I'll forget that I actually like your family, and just want to kill you all. I think your mother tried to have my best friends dead sister try to kill me so that Klaus couldn't sire anymore hybrids. But most of all, I think anyone capable of doing all of those things - most of those being as recent as a few months – is **_not_** capable of forgiveness. Anyone willing to go through so much trouble to kill your brother, and rid the world of abominations, is not going to be so eager to make peace, especially right after being resurrected."

Elijah didn't like any of what she had to say, especially the parts he didn't even know. And to be honest, he felt her opinion was more than a little biased. But she had warned him it would be, and she was phrasing everything to be in her opinion, not actual fact.

"Elijah, I'm not saying I couldn't be wrong – I might be. I just don't think I am," she admitted. "Just do yourself a favor, and keep a sharp eye out, okay?"

Elijah forced a small smile, and nodded.

The two hadn't parted company for more than a few short minutes, when Damon was grabbing Phoebe's arm. She rolled her eyes, knowing who it was, without even looking.

"You have fun tonight?" he asked.

"Actually, yes." She gave him a sarcastic smile.

"Good. You can tell me on the ride home. We're leaving."

"No, Damon, let go of me!" she said through gritted teeth, trying to jerk her arm free of his grip.

Damon looked around to make sure no one saw them. "I'm sorry for trying to keep you alive. Clearly Stefan doesn't give a crap anymore." He gestured to the room around them to prove how Stefan hadn't complained all night about her actually being there.

"Here we go again," she mumbled. "You're still mad at me for working with him behind your back?"

"No, I'm mad at you, because I love you!" he snapped.

Phoebe said nothing.

"I screwed up, Phoebe. I never should have compared you to Katherine. I was just scared. I was convinced that I'd ruin you."

"Damon, that's…that's not-"

"Just hear me out," he begged. "You are literally the best person I've ever known, and for me to think that I could change you gives me **_way_** too much credit and you not nearly enough."

Phoebe couldn't argue that.

Damon held her face in his hands. "You are the best influence on me. I need you."

Those were the wrong words.

Phoebe pulled his hands from her face. "That's a lot of pressure, Damon."

"I know, Phoebe. But-"

Phoebe cut him off. "No. No, it's my turn, now."

He mimed zipping his mouth shut, and let her continue.

"I love that I make you a better person, I love that I make you happy, but…I don't want to be the only thing that you live for." This was harder than the last time. Why? Maybe because she was angrier last time? Who knew? But she'd started this, she needed to finish it. "I don't want to worry about what's gonna happen every time we get into a fight, or if we break up again, or who you're gonna take it out on."

Damon was confused – this was not going the way he was hoping or thinking it would. "What—What are you talking about?"

"I don't want to be needed, Damon. All I ever been is needed. I want to be wanted – I need to be wanted. I need someone to put me first, for once, and say 'I choose you'. I need someone who will never ask me to help them when they need me, because I'm already there doing it. I need someone who will want me around because they love me, not because they need me to make them a better person…or because I remind them of someone else they used to love with the same face." She wiped away a couple of stray tears, and sniffled. "And that person isn't you, Damon. You are far too selfish to ever be that person."

Damon's emotions switched to their default setting, and he began to lash out. "But the guy who killed both of your parents is? Or how about the guy you won't even be friends with anymore, because he's too busy obsessing over how to kill the first guy? No, wait, I know: Elijah. Elijah's downright perfect. Perfect gentleman, noble, always there for you…Well, unless his brother has him daggered in a box somewhere."

Phoebe stormed out of the house, upset, not even bothering to answer him. Hayley and Elena, who hadn't been the only ones listening in, followed her out. As she passed Damon, she remarked, "You're such a dick."

With Phoebe now gone, Kol made his presence known. "You know, I don't really know her all that well – I'm not even sure if I like her or not – but I do know that's no way to treat a lady."

Damon gave him no more than a glance, before trying to walk away. Kol grabbed him by the throat, and pinned him against the wall. "Did you hear me? I said I didn't appreciate the way you treated her."

"Yeah? What are you gonna do about it?" Damon asked through what little breathes he was getting.

Kol grinned his signature wicked grin, as he thrust his hand into Damon's chest. Damon cried out in pain, calling both of their siblings to them. They separated the two, before asking Kol why he was breaking their mother's rule for no more violence.

Kol held out his arms innocently. "I was just defending the honor of your girl, Elijah." He looked at Klaus. "Or is she your girl? I get so confused. Are you sharing her, or…?"

Klaus grew angry, and Elijah had to hold him back. They were soon joined by Esther, who broke up the dispute entirely. So much fuss over one little girl.

After dealing with Kol and dismissing the rest of their guests for the evening, Esther retired to her room with Finn to complete the linking spell. She is slightly hesitant to do it, mostly because of Elijah's morality, but she knows it must be done. So she does it. All five children are now linked as one.

Much later that night, after everyone else had gone to bed, everyone's favorite Gilbert finds herself unable to sleep. Instead of taking a sleep aid or sitting around with her thoughts alone, she calls a friend to help distract her.

"I'm surprised you called," Klaus told her, leading her back into his studio.

"I'm surprised you answered," she replied. "I didn't wake you, did I?"

Klaus smiled. "I wouldn't mind even if you had."

Phoebe returned his smile.

"So…what can I do for you, love?"

"Well, you've been promising to teach me how to use charcoal," she said.

"You want to learn how to draw with charcoal at two in the A.M.?"

Phoebe flashed an innocent smile.

Klaus' smile deepened. "Alright then. Charcoal lessons, it is."

For, roughly, the next hour and a half, the two of them worked together to create something using charcoal pencils. It wasn't anything amazing, but the finished product closely resembled a feather which turned into a flock of birds at the end.

Phoebe was so excited that she had learned at least a little something, that she turned to hug Klaus. She stopped short, when she realized all the charcoal she had smeared all over her hands and arms.

Klaus laughed at her.

"What? I don't wanna get it all over your clothes."

"Well, then allow me to remove the problem."

Phoebe had expected him to hand her a cloth of some kind to wipe her hands on, but that's not what he did. Instead, Klaus removed his shirt and tossed it aside. Phoebe's eyes reactively began looking him over.

There are moments in life when simply looking at something isn't enough – people want to use their hands to see. This was one of those times for Phoebe. She reached out to run her fingers over smooth skin of Klaus' chest, but stopped herself again.

Klaus chuckled at her hesitation. He took her hands in his, and stopped laughing immediately. It was the strangest, yet most intriguing thing. He could feel what she was feeling. As calm as he had been a few seconds earlier, he was as nervous as she was now.

"There's no need to be nervous, love," he whispered to her.

"I like feeling nervous," she replied. "It reminds me that I care. If I didn't care, I wouldn't be nervous."

With the duality of feelings coursing through him, Klaus could no longer resist the desire to kiss her. He leaned in, and pressed his lips gently to hers. Phoebe freed her hands from his and wrapped her arms around his neck to pull him in closer – still somehow keeping her hands from making contact with his skin.

"You're still worried about getting coal on me," he muttered against her lips.

"Sorry."

Phoebe raised herself up onto her tippy-toes, so he didn't have to leaned down quite so far. But Klaus had a solution for that as well. He picked her up off the ground entirely, wrapping her legs around his waist. In a flash, they were on his bed. Phoebe rolled them to be on top. Klaus hands began to wander up the back of her shirt instinctively.

Phoebe pulled away.

"I'm sorry," he apologized, moving his hands back down to her thighs. "I didn't mean to-"

"It's okay," said Phoebe. "It was just a reflex."

"We can stop, if you'd like," he offered.

Phoebe considered his offer, or even telling him that she'd never done this before. But when she considered if it was something she really wanted, she decided against it. She wanted this. She was ready.

Was he the one she had envisioned doing this with for her first time? Not in a million years. But did he make her feel safe and comfortable? Yes. Did he make her crave to taste every inch of his body? So much yes. Then why stop?

Phoebe moved one of his hands back onto her scarred back. "No."


End file.
